La Foule
by Batattax
Summary: Loki is sent by his father to help the Avengers as retribution for the chaos he created a year ago. The mission: find and ultimately destroy the Tesseract. But there are complications. Thanos wrongly believes that he can gain complete control over the Tesseract by exploiting a young human girl's unique abilities. But for some reason, Loki already knows her. Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

La Foule by Edith Piaf

If you could, listen to the song, but more importantly read the translation. It's quite beautiful.

* * *

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The low, constant sound rang softly in my ears. Everything was dark and still, and my body seemed to be far away from where I was. I very slowly opened my eyes, too groggy to make any other movements. My vision was extremely blurry, but I shut them instantly from shining white light. Once I could fully open them, I took in my surroundings. I laid in a hospital bed, attached to a heart monitor and an IV bag. The florescent lighting and bright white walls emphasized the sterility of the room, but it still didn't seem like a hospital. There was no furniture, no windows, only a large glass door.

"Hello?" I called out in my vain. To my own ears, my voice seemed to scream. But in reality, my voice was painfully subdued for fear of not knowing who-or what- would answer me back.

I sat up and slowly swung my legs around the bed. That alone sent my head spinning. I closed my eyes and tried to remember how I got here. Bits and pieces flashed before me.

Men.

Guns.

Me, stuck in the middle.

Beep.

Beep.

The heart monitor seemed to have gotten louder, and I angrily ripped the wires off my arms. I slowly stood, hoping my motor abilities weren't impaired. After a few timid steps, I had gotten the hang of it. I seemed perfectly fine, yet my body felt a bit sore. It probably wasn't safe to push it, After a few stretches, I felt a sharp pain from my sides. I looked down and to see skin covered in gauze. Gingerly, I removed the coverings, revealing a few nice cuts that had required stitches.

"I'll deal with that later."

I stupidly looked around the room to see if there was anything else to wear other than my jeans and tank top that had gone under my original shirt. There weren't even charts or files, much less clothing. It could have been worse, I could have been modeling a hospital gown. Not the best outfit to escape in.

Escape. Right. Get your priorities straight Ev. Wherever I was, it couldn't have been good, and I didn't plan on staying any longer. As I approached the door, I noticed a faint logo in the glass. A large circle, with a sharply cut eagle in the center. Beneath it, an acronym.

"What's S.H.I.E.L.D?"

* * *

It had been more than a year since Steve Rogers had entered S.H.I.E.L.D. And although time had gone on, it seemed that nothing had changed. Rooms were pristine and kept clean as though battles had never happened there. Agents ran around calling out orders, zipping from room to room. Empty seats where deceased agents had worked were now filled with new operatives. It was like S.H.I.E.L.D. had a back-up supply of them in case the situation ever came up. Steve brought his arms behind his back and walked over to the large windows, watching the agents work. He was at a loss wondering why he was called back here. He remembered what happened a year ago. He had agreed to joining something called the "Avenger's Iniative," S.H.E.I.L.D.'s secret weapon to battle forces they themselves couldn't hope to defeat. The mission brought together a group of powerful misfits who got off to a shaky start. It seemed all too familiar the arguments and fights that had happened here. But ultimately, the group had been able to put their differences aside and come to recognize one another as friends. Together, they had saved New York from being destroyed at the hands of a power-hungry god who had complete control of the Tesseract.

The Tesseract...it had haunted Steve for 70 years. It was his last mission before he became unconscious, and the first when he woke up. He remembered the battle in the city all too well, like it had just happened yesterday.

"I wonder where everyone is now..." his voice barely audible. The mission had brought them together, but all had returned to someplace they could call home, however far away that was. Home was now a foreign concept to Steve.

"I see someone hasn't given up on the Thirties just yet."

Steve whipped around to see Tony Stark standing in front of the room. He seemed as cool and egotistical as ever.

"You might want to learn a thing or two. Some girls like their guys old-fashioned." Steve couldn't help but give a good-natured smile. Despite the slow start the two had, all ended well. He extended his hand, and Tony took it eagerly. Steve could truly consider Stark a friend. Even though people thought him to be a wise-cracking playboy (and rightfully so), there was good and intelligence in the man. Steve believed the casanova bit was just a front.

"So, what have you been up to lately? Causing any trouble that would have made me have to haul my ass back up here?" Steve shook his head. "No, I was wondering if you could tell me that."

Before Tony could even open his mouth, the door pulled apart to let two more operatives enter the room: agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton.

"You two boys playing nicely?" Natasha asked, but Steve wasn't sure if it was a really a question. The slim redhead eyed the two, always on the alert for trouble to happen. "I'm sure if they weren't, they wouldn't be standing here." Barton said with a quick wink, and extended his hand to the two. "Don't mind Nat, she's just on edge."

"And rightfully so." She crossed her arms and eyed him.

"Good God, they're bringing us all back."Tony realized.

Steve stepped forward, "But for what?"

He was interrupted as all eyes fell on Bruce Banner. The meek scientist walked in slowly, nodding to the group. Steve saw Tony tense, and Natasha instinctively caress her gun. Bruce was a good guy, but cynical and self-loathing because of his "condition." However dangerous he was, the Hulk was an extremely powerful ally, and a good person.

"Hello," he said to no-one in particular. Steve noticed that Bruce had put distance between himself and the group, an action he had to make so often he didn't even have to think about it. The group relaxed, and returned the greeting. Steve thought he could see a twinge of guilt in Natasha's face.

"We were just trying to figure out why we were all here." Barton informed him. If anyone were to know, it would have been the S.H. .D agents, and even they were at a loss.

"Is Loki free?" Banner questioned. Steve had not considered that, and from the looks on everyone faces, no one else had either. The last they had seen of him was the last time they were together. Thor, another Avenger, who also happened to be his god and older brother, had brought the Tesseract away from earth. Loki accompanied him to face punishment for his crimes. No one had heard from the God of Mischief since.

"Loki is not the problem." A deep voice sounded from the other side of the room. Nick Fury, head operative of S.H.I.E.L.D, entered and quickly looked over the present members. He hadn't changed a bit. Still cold and commanding, always ready for to take charge.

"But," he continued, strolling to the front of the room, "once again we are dealing with other worldly forces beyond our control, possibly even stronger than Loki."

Barton stood a little taller, and Steve and Tony took their seats at the giant glass table. All their attention was focused on Fury, waiting for him to continue. He waited a moment before speaking, something he didn't normally do. That was because what he was about to say next even made him think twice about the situation.

"So to combat this, we're going to have to bring in worldly forces of our own."

Almost on cue, the debriefing room doors opened one final time. All turned around to see who the "worldly force."

They were greeted with the face of fellow Avenger, Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, who had helped earth in times of great need.

And behind him followed his younger brother Loki.


	2. Chapter 2

Holy guacamole! So many alerts and favorites, and even reviews! Just from one itty bitty chapter. Thank you virginger, ttlokisdashiz, and BANEHiwatari for your comments. I'm glad you like what I'm doing with Loki so far.

Also! Forgive the basic Marvel knowledge. I'm definitely more of a DC girl, but I really wanted to write this fan fic. I'm learning more as I go on.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except my own fabricated plot and characters. But not the legit ones. I sadly will never own them.

* * *

In the short time it took Tony and Steve to stand up, Natasha had already pulled out her gun and had it aimed directly at Loki's face. Barton slid opposite her and cocked his pistol, watching the god intently.

"Why is he here?" Barton demanded, never taking his eyes of his target. Bruce crossed his arms and looked to Fury, about to interrogate him for an answer. But before he could do so, Thor stepped forward. He raised his hands and stood directly in front of Loki, blocking him from the agents. Silly mortals. Bullets would do nothing to him anyway.

"Please, friends, you do not know what is at hand. Lower your weapons and you shall be given an explanation." The S.H.I.E.L.D agents looked at one another, and then slowly, but unsurely, put away their guns. Thor stepped back, leaving all eyes on Loki. The god took in his surroundings, briefly looking over each agent.

"Hello."

Everyone was silent. Loki quickly glanced around to see if anyone would make a move, but they seemed to he frozen in their spots. Before they could get their wits about them, Fury intervened.

"Yes, Loki is back. But this isn't going to be a repeat of last time." He glared at the god, making sure his words got through to him. "Loki has been temporarily released from his punishment for his crimes with the Tesseract and ordered by the King of Asgard to help us."

His words brought on a brief silence before Natasha whipped around. "Excuse me? Since when did we take orders from Asgard?" She stared down Loki, who had nothing to say in his defense.

Tony stepped forward. "Fury, you can't be serious. You must be crazier than him if you actually believe this. He's unpredictable, and we can't trust him."

Fury raised his hand to silence him, but Thor intervened once more. The thunder god was eyeing Bruce, making sure he would not get involved in the conflict.

"Friends, I understand your quarrel. As does my father. Loki is under strict orders as well as the watchful eye of the King of Asgard. A wrong move will send him back to my world to continue his punishment, only that time it will be certain death," his deep voice spoke solemnly. The others were still not convinced.

"I am not here to redeem myself." the other god spoke quietly. He carefully watched everyone's faces to see their reactions. "I know that is not an option." He chose to leave out "not that I would want it anyway."

"But my father believes that having me at your side could some what even the battlefield. If I am to die in battle, so be it." his voice was painfully calm, as if his father sentencing him to death was no big matter.

Once again, no one spoke. But it was clear no one liked the idea. Steve turned to Fury and asked the question everyone was dying to know,

"Who are we up against?"

Fury sighed and uncrossed his arms, walking back to the front of the room to turn on the projector screen. "More like what."

A large picture covered the screen, and everyone instinctively walked forward to get a closer look. The picture was of ... a man, if you could even call it that. His sheer size was daunting, rivaling only the Hulk. His skin was a sick grayish-purple color, and his face could only be described as alien. He wore a large helmet and foreign battle armor. He had no weapons, but his hands alone looked like they could kill someone in a matter of seconds. But perhaps the worst thing about him was the fact that he was smiling. Like he knew he was being photographed.

"This," Fury said pointing to the screen, "is Thanos. Someone we never had to deal with until now. We've only just recently learned about him, so we don't know much. But what I can tell you is that he's powerful. More powerful than anything any one of you has faced before." He waited a moment to let his words sink in.

"Over the past week, our satellites have picked up strange gamma radiation in the atmosphere. Gamma radiation we haven't seen for almost a year now."

He pushed a button on a small remote, and the screen flipped to a picture of the Tesseract.

"Our sources believe that it's coming from the Tesseract."

Steve turned to Thor. "How could this be? You were supposed to take care of it."

"Maybe you're asking the wrong brother." Bruce commented, looking at Loki. The younger god shook his head. "I play no part in this. Thanos is no friend of mine."

Tony stood and walked in front of Loki. "Sorry if we don't believe the God of Lying just yet." Loki said nothing, and looked away. Thor moved closer to the two, hoping to prevent any rash actions.

"We believe," Fury continued, "that Thanos wants the Tesseract, and we know that nothing good can come of this. But, the reason why he doesn't have it now is because the last time he tried to get it, it ended up severely weakening him. So before he can wreak havoc with it, he needs to find a means to get it. And we know exactly what his 'means' are."

"We know Thanos is a superhuman, part of a race called the Eternals from Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. We also know that he has certain powers that enable him to use the Tesseract's raw power, but also would end up killing him in the process. We have tracked down the only other person in the universe that we know of, who has powers similar to Thanos. They've been on our radar for years now, but we have left them alone since there has never been an incident. We believe that Thanos will harvest the power of the Tesseract through this person, killing them in the process, and absorb their life force and the Cube's powers."

"So before we fight Thanos we must find the person who he plans on using." Thor concluded.

"That part's already been done."

The group was taken aback by this news.

"Who... I mean, what..is it?" Clint asked.

Bruce stepped forward. "And where are they now?"

"Retained in the medic ward of this location. It's a human." he replied, turning to Clint for the last part. "And we believe that she is not hostile."

"Well," a voice came from the back of the room. Everyone turned to where the unfamiliar voice had come from, and were met with a young girl who certainly looked like she didn't belong here.

"You've got that wrong."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Coulson lives! I couldn't help it, I liked his character too much. Bear with me on any unexplained information, I will reveal it as time goes on.

Awards to Melissa Caspien for best review, and thanks to boneskatana, Phoenix Falconer, Fruityloops87, FanFicPhanatic2010, Space Banshee, RosettaRose, virginger, GoldBee for their wonderful comments. They made me very happy!

Disclaimer: The characters and all their loveliness do not belong to me.

* * *

"You know," I continued, flipping through the manila folder I had obtained on the way to the debriefing room, "at first I was pretty angry that I was dragged here, but now I've realized that there's so much I've been missing out on. There's stuff I didn't even know about myself in here." I smiled to the man with eye patch cynically. "You're really very thorough."

Everyone was silent, but the man in all black spoke first. His voice was calm but his tone sharp. "Where did you get those files?"

"Oh, these?" I asked coyly. "I found them in an agent..." I flipped to the front to read the label, "Couslon's belongings. But don't worry, he doesn't miss them. I'll give them back to them later."

"Those are property of S.H.I.E.L.D." he responded coolly. His brows creased and his frown turned into a tight line.

"I don't think you understand the definition of property." I replied back in the same tone. "Because for some reason, I distinctly remembered being ambushed by a bunch of men with guns and tasers. And then, I wake up here," I gestured around me, "which I don't even know where here is, like I was some piece of equipment that needed to be returned."

"ls this true?" the question came from a tall, good-looking man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a young face. Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. I immediately recognized his picture from the files. I briefly skimmed his bio, not really believing the whole "trapped in ice for seventy years" story. But after one look at his pants, now I did. The director clasped his hands behind his back. "Yes. We had to react quickly because the first two men that approached her were quickly expunged."

"I had reason to react, it was self defense." I gritted.

"So," the man continued, voice elevating mine, "we had to enforce a hostile approach to make sure no one else got hurt."

"Except me."

"We didn't mean for that to happen."

I ignored him, and continued flipping through the folder. "So, the Avenger's Iniative. That sounded pretty important, so I thought I'd take that too. What could a super soldier, a scientist, a playboy philanthropist, two assassins, and a god from another world need to get together for?"

"We were going to debrief you on this once you were conscience. Those files..."

I cut him off. "Oh don't worry about that. I was here the whole time you were talking, you just didn't see me." I looked at all the strange faces around me, and suddenly I felt very sad.

"So you'll excuse me for being a bit angry," I said quietly, to no one in particular. The whole thing seemed too unbelievable, and I was ready to wake up from this nightmare any time now. The man I had been arguing with sighed, and walked over to me. "Team, this is Evelyn Adams, the target in question and our 'guest' who hopefully remain here for the time being." He put emphasis on the last part, and I said nothing. I'd deal with that later. He turned to me. "We need to make sure you are safe and put of Thanos's reach."

"How can you guarantee my safety when you can't even guarantee your own?"

A tall blond man with intimidating muscles stepped forward. He wore battle armor and spoke like he belonged here a thousand years ago, give or take a few centuries. The god." Do not worry, for that is what we are here for." His voice was deep and carried power, like it alone could cause a thunderstorm.

One of the few faces I recognized without the help of the files, Tony Stark, famous playboy and also Iron Man, spoke next. "So now S.H.I.E.L.D is using us as baby sitters?"

"I don't like it either." I looked directly at the man with the eye patch as I spoke. "I can fend for myself. I don't need anyone to die protecting me."

Stark's face twisted a little, "That isn't what I meant."

"It is how it came across." A man in the corner said quietly. The scientist. Stark glanced at him but said nothing in return.

The only other woman in the room was sizing me up. "I don't think you know what you're in for." A man with short brown hair in a uniform similar to hers stood next to her. "I don't think any of us do." The message was not just directed to her, but for everyone.

The director turned to me. "No matter what you've heard, there's still a lot you need to know. And that goes for everyone else too. We're nowhere near done talking about this."

"I want everyone to meet back here in 4 hours. Then, we'll go into detail about what we're going to do. And you, kid," I raised my eyebrow at his choice of words, "should get some rest.

"I'm fine."

"Get some rest."

"Shouldn't you at least tell her who she'll be dealing with?" The man beside the red-head was smirking, and I knew he wasn't talking about Thanos.

Captain Eye patch grunted, which I guess meant he agreed. "I was under the impression that Adams here already knew who she talking to." He put a hand on his side and looked at the folder I was holding. I shrugged sheepishly.

"I'm Nick Fury, head director of S.H.I.E.L.D, and part-time babysitter." He glared back at the group behind him. The mental image of this man having to babysit almost made me bite back a grin.

"This is Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America." A nod of acknowledgement. "Tony Stark, Iron Man. You'll learn to ignore his smart ass." Tony smiled guiltily.

"Agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye. They're trained specialists here at S.H.I.E.L.D. Bruce Banner, famous physicist, the Hulk."

I nodded toward the man's direction. "I've read some of your work. It's brilliant." He seemed a bit caught off guard that I spoke to him, maybe because it was the first nice comment I had made, but the corner of his mouth turned upward just the tiniest bit.

"And Thor. He's not from this world, but from a place called Asgard. He's the God of Thunder." I looked at Thor, then back to Fury. "Just trust me."

So. Those were the Avengers then. Just like that. Earth's mightiest hero's, who's next mission was to protect me from a big bad alien.

"You've forgotten one." Agent Romanoff said sarcastically.

There was one man left in the room, who had not spoken the entire time.

"Introductions aren't needed." I informed Fury.

For the first time since I had entered the room, the Loki and I locked eyes. My legs were bringing me toward him, but I wasn't so sure if that was what I wanted. He too stepped closer, his expression unsure and confused.

"Loki." It took every once of will power not to make my voice shake. I had to come off cool. Like I didn't care. "You haven't changed." I tried to sound angry, but even I could hear the sadness in my voice. After three years, it looked like he hadn't changed a bit. Same hair, same face, same eyes...He stared at me as I spoke, not saying a word. No one did. This wasn't something I wanted to do in front of all these people. The air was tense.

Finally, he spoke "Evie..."

For the first time in three years, I heard his voice. I had forgotten how nice it sounded, especially when it was saying my name.

There were so many things I wanted to say. I wanted to scream, I even wanted to cry. But hell knows I wasn't going to do that. So I just stood there stoically, holding in my emotions.

And then, I hit him.

It was supposed to be a slap. A firm but gentle one, so it would register but not hurt too much. Like the ones girls give in the movies before passionately kissing their lovers. Except that wasn't quite the situation.

Instead, I had punched him. A good, hard punch that had a lot of power behind it. He reeled back and hit his head against the wall.

Fury approached us, "Watch it!" but made no move to restrain me. I heard someone muffle a laugh. Loki looked back at me, hurt. I knew not physically. But I wanted to make him feel how I felt. Not just now, but for the last three years. He removed his hand from his face and said nothing. Regret washed over me immediately.

The doors to the room opened and a small man in a suit ran in. "Sir, its Adams. She's supposed to be in the medical center but her rooms empty. We don't know where she is." The phone in his pocket was constantly ringing but he ignored it. He spoke calmly but his actions read anxious. He obviously did not want to be the one to tell Fury. His badge read none other than Agent Couslon.

"Well then, I guess that's my cue to leave," taking the chance to answer before anyone else could.

"Four hours, Adams." Fury called after me as I walked away.

"I don't like to take orders." I retorted, itching for another argument. It felt like my dad was telling me to go to my room. The look on Fury's face plainly read "not amused," so I smiled sweetly. "But I'll be there."

"Agent Coulson." I handed the files to the very confused man. "You might want to think about changing the security lock on your briefcase." After hitting the button on the door, I turned around one last time.

"It was nice meeting all of you." I said with a smirk, and then left with the doors closing behind me.

* * *

Natasha turned around, wearing a genuine smile.

"I like her."


	4. Chapter 4

Warning: Chapter contains graphic sexual details involving Loki with the muzzle he was wearing at the end of the Avengers.

Just kidding. I'm seeing the movie again for the third time tonight, and that muzzle always confuses me. Like, is that really necessary? So sorry for the joke everyone, but maybe one day...

So many reviews! The list is too long for me to write but I appreciate all of your posts! Ice cream for everyone!

* * *

I sat on the edge of the bed. A nameless agent brought me to this room and said it would be mine for the time being. It was pretty basic, a bed, a desk, a closet, a bathroom, and my favorite, a door with a lock. On the desk was a file explaining how S.H.I.E.L.D got my parents to go along with me leaving for an extended amount of time. Apparently I was "studying in London to experience the culture as a reward for my exceptional grades in high school." Some lucky agent even had to send home postcards and sign my name for them. They left copies in the folder. School was the last thing on my mind. I can't believe how just the other day I was worrying about college. It seemed so trivial now. I felt a tiny twinge of pain knowing that I wouldn't be home for some time.

A large duffle bag sat by the foot of the bed. My mother had packed it for me once she heard I had to be whisked away immediately for this once in a lifetime opportunity. The only thing I had taken out was a framed picture of my family; my father, mother, and older brother Brandon. The agent that had to tell my mother I had already left must have had some serious balls, because if I know my mother, she would have sent his butt right to Kingdom Come. The thought brought a tiny smile to my face. I took the frame in my hands and traced the outline of the picture. A knock on the door briefly startled me. "Come in." I called, not taking my eyes off the photograph.

"Evelyn."

My stomach dropped.

It was him.

I quickly looked up. The door closed behind Loki, his expression unreadable. His eye had started to turn black and blue, but he didn't look angry. At least, I didn't think he was.

"I want to talk."

My cheeks grew warm and I found myself incapable of speaking. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye so I stared at the floor. Feeling him watching just burned me.

"Will you not answer me?"

Part of me wished he knew that if I did that, I'd probably start crying. But most of me didn't. I put the frame back on the desk and stared at my hands.

"Will you not even look at me?" His tone turned pleading, but I would not give in. "Evelyn, Evie, please."

"Go away." I mumbled incoherently. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw he hadn't moved. I repeated myself. "Go away," I ordered again, louder. This time I knew he heard me.

I stood and looked him directly in the eye. "Can't you hear me? I said go." Something flickered in Loki's eyes. I had almost forgotten how beautiful they were. So nice and blue...The first time I met him I remembered how much he made me want to have blue eyes, just like his. I never told him that.

"Evelyn please, let me explain myself..."

"No!" I shouted. "You've had that chance for three years now. You've lied to me, you've left me, and you've never even said goodbye." My head was reeling, my thoughts spinning out of control. "My god, you manipulated me. I was so young...And now you come back and think I can forgive you so easily? Do you know how much that hurts?" My eyes were starting to burn. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"Get out."

"Evelyn..."

"GO!" Even I was surprised I screamed at him. Loki had on that same, sad expression I had seen him wear so many times before. Only this time I wasn't going to do anything about it. I turned my back to him and felt water flow down my cheeks. I made sure not even a sniffle was heard. After what seemed like a lifetime, his footsteps retreated and the door opened.

"Perhaps one day I will be worthy of your time." The sentence sounded so cruel and yet so sad. The door slammed shut behind him. I stifled a sob, then threw myself back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, pushing my mass of dark hair out of my face. Angrily wiping tears from my eyes, I desperately tried forgetting what had just happened by busying myself with unanswered questions. I couldn't afford to think of Loki now, not with so many other things on my plate. The selfish bastard. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Relax Ev, just relax. Crying will do you no good. Just think about something else. Like what was even going on right now? I was inside the biggest and most secretive spy agency in the world. Apparently my life was in danger by an alien (HAH) who knew I had powers (not so hah). For what, I don't really know. I have no idea what the hell a Tessacrap even was. Oh and the Avengers were being ordered to babysit me. The Avengers. A group of people who should have left me star struck, but no. Instead I had to act like a defiant brat because I was angry. And hell, shouldn't I be?

And then there was Loki.

I rolled over to face the wall. For a whole minute I didn't think about him. Now that I was, it hurt. For some time I sat there and wondered all kinds of things. Why he was here. Why he had left. What he now thought about me.

I wasn't sure how long I had been laying there before someone knocked on my door. Hours, at least. I glanced at the digital clock on the desk. 3:00 pm. Too early for someone to drag me to the meeting.

"Come in." I croaked, not moving. "Unless your Loki." Then get the fuck out of my room.

"My lady, may I have a word?"

I broke from my daze and sat up, turning to Thor. His presence was intimidating, but by the look on his face I could tell he was not here to frighten me. I remember Loki telling me once that he was adopted, and it was plain to see from his brother that the two had nothing in common.

"If you're here because Loki sent you, just go. I don't want to here it."

The god shook his head "I am not here because my brother asked me. I come on my own behalf." he paused, trailing off. "I am Thor, by the way," feeling the need to introduce himself once more.

"Evelyn."

Thor smiled. In the short time he had been here, I could already felt comforted and at ease. He was much easier to be around than his brother. "I must admit, the reason why I visit you is to talk about Loki."  
Big surprise. I sighed, and moved over to make room for him to sit. The bed groaned from his weight, and sitting next to him made me feel so tiny.

His face looked pained as he struggled to find the right words. "I do not know where to begin." he admitted, looking at me directly. I didn't speak, also unsure of what I was supposed to say.

"Loki is...not like the rest of us." I assumed he was talking about family. "He is adopted, and I think that the knowledge of it brings him great pain. I did not know all this time that my brother was suffering. I am a fool." He spat out the words, muscles flexing as he clenched his fists. I opened my mouth to tell him otherwise but he held his hand, wishing to continue. I nodded. "This, among other reasons, has caused him to act out in unfavorable ways. He believed that using the Tesseract would bring about a greater good for your world. His actions were wrong but his heart was not."

"I retrieved him from our father in Asgard to relieve him of his current punishment, and bring him here. I talked to him, hoping to mend our broken past. He was reluctant. After considerable time and pleading, he opened up to me. Very little, but to me the gesture was tremendous."

"He spoke of a time, a few years ago, when he came to your world for a single purpose. He was ordered by Thanos to retrieve a young human girl who he believed could help him acquire the Tesseract." He carefully watched me as he revealed the information. My heart skipped a beat. Loki...was working for Thanos? And worst of all, he had planned to use me, and hand me over. Like a prize.

"I don't see how this is helping your case." I replied through gritted teeth.

"My lady, please let me continue. Do not stop listening yet."

I silently nodded, unclenching my fists. Thor noticed the action.

"The task was supposed to be swift, finished in a matter of months. Once the girl was found, Loki was supposed to hand you over."

"But he didn't."

I felt color drain from my face. Thor paused, and I wanted to tell him to continue on, but I couldn't find my voice.

"Loki told me the human girl became a friend of his, someone who he confided in. My brother does not confide in anyone, my lady." The statement made me feel both pride and guilt. "Instead of capturing her, like he was ordered, Loki spent time in Midgard to be with her. He evaded Thanos's watchful eye, convincing him that the girl was nowhere to be found, and needed more time to look."

Thor's deep voice turned darker. "After a time, Thanos became agitated, demanding that if Loki did not find the girl soon, Thanos himself would search for her. Knowing not what else to do, my brother told him that the girl was dead. Killed years ago. He persuaded him of this, and to move to a different plan of action. Loki continued on by himself, Thanos watching from a distance. Loki still believed that he could save the human world, but he knew he could not give up this human girl in the process. So he removed himself from her, hoping to keep her safe from whatever evils he could have brought on to her. And until this day, Loki has not seen or heard from the girl in three years time."

Thor watched me and did not speak. I was grateful for the moment to think. But I couldn't. There was so much to think about and say, but I didn't know where to start. All that kept going through my head was "idiot, idiot, angry hormonal idiot."

"Will you not go to him?" Thor asked, tone almost pleading. A sigh escaped my lips. "I can't." His face fell as failure took a hold of him. "Not yet." I added quickly, knowing to explain myself. "He came here a while before you did. I wanted him to know how angry and upset I was, so I yelled at him. I didn't even give him a chance to talk..." My voice trailed off as I wondered what Loki thought of me now. If I was him, I wouldn't want to talk to me either.

Thor rose and stood in front of me. "Do not blame yourself, Lady Evelyn." I sighed again. That's easy for you to say, Gandalf. "My brother understands your pain, and now you understand his. When you feel you are ready, you should approach him."

"But not now, for the time is growing late, and we have a meeting to attend." I quickly glanced at the clock. It was almost 4. I couldn't believe how fast time had flown by! I quickly skipped after him as he strode out the door.

* * *

So much fluff, I know. What a boring chapter. As a reward for you keeping your attention span held for so long, I will give a tinyyyy preview of chapter 5:

We flashback three years ago to the day Loki and Evelyn met. Loki may or may not get slapped in the face with a random object.


	5. Chapter 5

The movie was amazing, as usual. Love me some Tom Hiddleston. So I have some news for everyone, and I hope it isn't too bad. 1) The next few chapters, including this one, will be told as flashbacks. I really need to shell out the Loki-Evelyn story line a bit. 2) I will not be updating daily anymore, but every few days. I know people want updates fast and I'm so happy you guys enjoy it, but I really think I need to have more time to review what I've come up with. School just ended so finals are out of the way, but now I also have to concentrate on work (and play!)

Thank you everyone who reviewed! I thought the last chapter was crap but you guys still read it anyway:,)

* * *

It was a warm day in April when I had met him. My last period free was spent doing year-book work with the only other sophomore in the club. Too young to drive, my mom usually dropped me off both ways, but I could tell since early morning it would be too nice not to walk. Sophomore year was the best year (next to senior of course,) for two reasons; no one expected anything from you, and you weren't a freshman. The only things I had to deal with were school and a social life. On the way home, my mind was preoccupied about tackling some unwanted chemistry homework. But I had tackled into something...-someone-else instead.

He barely budged; it was like I had run into a wall. But I still felt the need to frantically apologize. "I'm so sorry!" I squeaked as I picked up from the ground the math book I had been carrying. The stranger didn't reach to get it before me. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I was daydreaming and...hey. Are you... alright?" When I had finally looked up, I noticed the man had been watching me with the weirdest look on his face. He was easy on the eyes though; tall and slim, with bright blue eyes that popped against his dark hair and pale skin. He wore business attire, but it was too heavy and hot for this time of year. I bet he would look better if he would have smiled. However, he continued to regard me in silence.

"Sir, are you ok?"

Still no reply. "Do. You. Speak. English?" I made sure to speak slowly, annunciate my syllables, and elevate my voice. Immediately, the man's features turned dark as he spat out, "Of course I can speak English you stupid girl."

My face turned deadpanned. Seriously?

"Yeesh, alright, no need to get cranky. Maybe if you talked once in a while, you could develop better people skills, and things like this," I said, gesturing to the space between us, "wouldn't happen." My tone was lighthearted to try and get my point across without seeming like a jerk. But he already had that part covered. His face was stoic and once again had nothing to say. "Why were you even standing there anyway?"

He disregarded me and impatiently asked, "Are you Evelyn Adams?"

Caught off guard, I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "Yes...and who are you?"

He also ignored that and grinned. "I've been watching you for some time now."

"Really?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes."

He was completely serious.

...

"Hm." was my only reply. Then, thinking rationally, I hit him in the face with my Trig book.

"Keep away from me pervert!" I yelled as I ran away.

Maybe that wasn't the most rational thing to do after all.

I took the most populated route home, looking over my shoulder every so often. Once I had gotten to the park, I slowed my pace down to a walk. Heart beating quickly, I took another glance behind me.

"Are you done running now?"

I whipped around. It was him. My eyes grew wide with panic and I began stumbling over my words. "But...how...you were, behind me...what..."He smirked again. I instinctively raised my textbook. His hand shot out, so quickly I barely even saw it.

"Wait!" he yelled angrily. "I just want to talk. I'm not going to hurt you. I stared at him blankly. Was I really supposed to believe this guy? He continued, "Now, when I let go of your hand, will you promise not to run away or try to hit me with your book again? Because I will stop you, and you won't be glad I did." Still too shell-shocked to speak, I could only nod, even though my mind was not made up. He looked at me hard and released his grip on my wrist. I slowly lowered my book. He nodded. "Good. Now, may we speak?"

I surveyed around and saw a pair of benches a little ways from where we were standing. I walked toward them, him following behind me. When I had chosen my seat, he sat down next to me.

"Oh no. You sit over there." I pointed to the bench opposite me. He grumbled something incoherent as he walked over.

"This is ridiculous."

"You're ridiculous. Now what do you want?"

He brought his hands to his face and tapped his lips with his fingers. He was searching for the right words to say, what ideas to formulate, what answers he had already received. He watched me intently, his gaze making me uncomfortable. I'd be damned if I let him know that though, so I stared at him right back.

"Was your grandfather James Adams, the famous scientist?" he asked when he finally spoke.

Confused at where this was going, I could only think to answer truthfully. "Yes."

"And his wife Madeline Adams was also a scientist." It wasn't a question so much as a statement. I didn't reply, but he continued on. "And your father is Daniel Anthony Adams, who follows in their footsteps. His work now revolves around creating sustainable energy for the entire world to use." My stomach dropped. This stranger was spewing out information about my family like he had researched us. Even I didn't know what my father really did. The color drained from my face and I clenched my fists. But suddenly, the man...smiled.

"Please don't be nervous," he laughed. "I can see you're scared. I'm a scientist. I work for the same laboratory corporation as your father, only I work in the foreign branch. I'm very impressed by his work."

The statement barely relieved me, but just barely. I still wasn't buying this act.

"So, what do you want from me? If it's science you want to talk about, than go see my dad."

He smiled again, only this time it was more...menacing. "I'm not interested in your father." This was extremely creepy. My fingers gripped the bottom edge of the bench tightly. It was futile to make a run for it. But I couldn't just stay here like a sitting duck.

"Then what do you want from me?"

"I already told you," he replied plainly. "I just want to talk."

Exasperated, I stood and threw my hands up. "But about what?"

"You." he replied simply. "And your powers."

My hands dropped to my sides. Unintentionally, my voice became very quiet.

"How could you possibly know about that?"

He rose and walked toward me. "I told you, I've been watching you. You can try to hide but it's no use. You can fool your family and friends but that doesn't mean you're safe. There are people out there that would want to use you."

"So you want to use me?" I sputtered. What could this lunatic possibly want me for? There was no way he could control me. Heck, sometimes I can't even control myself. Whatever he had in mind, it couldn't be good.

He looked at me a while before speaking, and when he did, he sounded more sincere than I had heard him before. "No, I don't want to use you. I just want to...study you. Know more about your powers. I'm curious." His voice was actually pretty lovely when he wasn't using it to yell at me. Damn Brits. Assuming that was where he was from.

I mulled over the idea. If I tell him, it could potentially give him the chance to figure out my weaknesses and use it against me. If I don't tell him, well, I wasn't really sure what he would do. "If I agree, what do I get out of it?"

He looked at me like I had just spoken Chinese. "Why would you need to 'get anything out of it?'"

I shrugged. "Just because. Don't I deserve it, after hearing you've been following up on me?"

"I just want to know more about you."

"Likewise."

He was actually really cute when he got all confused. His defenses dropped, and his face had this soft look to it. Something you don't see to often with older people.

"What?"

I walked closer to him, invading his personal bubble. He regarded me carefully, but I continued. "Well sure. I mean, fair is fair. You want to know about me, why can't I learn about you? It'll be a trade; info for info."

He looked amused now. "You really plan to bargain with me?"

I shrugged in reply. "What have I got to lose?" He turned away and ran his fingers through his hair, like he had to sincerely contemplate this decision. I wasn't sure what the problem was.

"...I don't even know your name."

He stopped walking. "Meet me back here tomorrow. Same time." He didn't turn around to face me, and after a few seconds, I realized it was his way of saying good bye. Confused, I picked up my backpack from the bench and walked away slowly.

"My name is Loki."

When I had looked back, he was already gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Holy fans, Batman! Wow, I'm so happy everyone seems to really like this fan fic. I love hearing what you guys have to say about it, it makes my day. I hope this chapter is up to your standards. I had a lot of fun doing it.

Disclaimer: Imagine one day you're reading this and it says. "I own all the characters. I am Stan Lee." But sadly, I am not, and none of this will ever be mine.

* * *

"Wow, you really did come after all."

I greeted him with a smile which he did not return. In fact, he seemed angry.

"Of course I'm here. I told you I would be." He quickly up-downed me. "You wore that outfit yesterday, why did you choose to wear it again?"

"It's my uniform."

He stared at me blankly.

"You know...for school?

It was like he had never heard of the concept before. "They make you wear those? They're horrid."  
Hey, it may have been a uniform, but it was a pretty nice one. I did have some school pride you know. Crossing my arms, I surveyed his look. Business attire again, and he wore it well. But of course I was not going to do that.

"Well, I don't like your shirt." He smiled like he knew I was fibbing. Annoyed, I sat down on the same bench I had the day earlier. "Alright, let's get this started. What do you want to know?" He sat next to me again, only this time I allowed it. He felt extremely close, maybe because I just wasn't used to...him. I could faintly smell cologne, and it was heavenly.

"You seem to be in a rush."

My jaw dropped. "The only reason I'm rushing is because I don't want you to snap at me again!"

He laughed. It was a short, tiny one, but a laugh all the same. And it was not unpleasant to hear. "You're afraid of me."

"I'm afraid of what you might do to me."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

In my mind, I was hitting my head against the bench. "What does it matter? I'm just making sure I don't waste any time. And stop smiling," I ordered. He had that mischievous grin on his face again, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Alright Evie."

"Don't call me that. I hate that name."

"I know."

"So Loki..." I said, changing the subject. "That's a different name. What is that, Norwegian or something?"

He sat up a little taller and wore an unreadable expression. "I'm not from anywhere you could possibly know about," and left it at that. What was the point of me asking questions if I wasn't going to get any real answers out of them? If he wasn't going to give me any real details then I'd have to fill in the blanks myself. So, right now I was dealing with a scientist from a small town in England who has a thing for lurking. I think.

"So do you always stalk and threaten your women, or am I just special?" The very corner of his mouth perked up just a bit, but the smile had vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I believe it's my turn to ask a question," he answered wryly. Crossing my arms, I grumbled and slumped back against the bench. I was never going to find out anything about him. Heck, he knew more about me now than I probably ever would about him.

Watching me earnestly, he asked his first question. I bet he rehearsed them, already knowing what order to ask them in and what other questions to ask when he knew my answers.

"How did you obtain your powers?"

I shrugged. "That's a good question. I really don't know."

Loki actually looked amused. He had on that stupid smirk again.

"What?" I snapped.

"We both know that's a lie."

"No it's not!"

...

"Ok, ok," I admitted. "I do know how it happened. I'm sorry, I'm just not used to talking about this stuff. And I didn't think you'd ask me such in- depth questions right of the bat." His response was just a simple gesture with his hand to continue on and answer his question. I really loved how half the time it was like I was talking to myself.

I kept my eyes off him while I spoke.  
"It's nothing special, really. It happened when I was much younger." I paused, contemplating where to start.

"You already know my dad's a scientist. He likes to bring work home with him. One day I had noticed light coming from underneath the door-frame of his office. When I asked him about it, he just laughed and said I was imagining things. So, The next time the house was empty I went to go find out what it really was."

"I'd never seen my dad's 'office' until that day. It was basically a small laboratory, with tons of machines I had never even seen before. Immediately, I noticed where the light had been coming from; on my dad's desk was a set of vials containing some weird...well, I'm not really sure what it was. It kind of looked like...liquid electricity, if you could imagine what that could look like." The combination seemed strange but it was the only way I could accurately describe it. Loki's face showed no signs of disbelief, or any emotion for that matter. So, I continued on.

"Curiosity got the best of me, and I went over and grabbed one of the bottles, but the glass was scorching hot. I dropped it all over the floor, spilling glass and liquid everywhere. I tried cleaning up the glass as fast as I could, but I stopped when I noticed the liquid was actually sticking to my hands. I couldn't shake it off. It creeped me out more when I saw it drip down my arms, and feel it encase my body. Before it disappeared into my skin, I remember this pleasant warm feeling, and then a rush of pain. I guess I black-outed because later my brother shook me awake and asked why I had fallen asleep in dad's office.

"...and, that's it," I ended modestly, feeling like I had just retold some cheesy sci-fy comic book story. Loki pondered what had just been said, and was staring intently at the benches across from us. "Then what happened?"

"Then...then things started getting strange. My mom thought I was sick but in reality, I had never felt better. Simple things like running and jumping were easier to do, and I could do them better. Once I became more in tune with my body, I found out I could do all sorts of stuff, like break things or make them move without touching them. And then, when I had gotten older, realized I could use it on people too." The last part came out as a whisper, and I peeked to my right to see how Loki looked. He was intrigued and pushed for more.

"How so?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, I've only tried it once or twice. I can...make people do things." His eyes widened and I immediately regretted telling him. "But it's really hard to do, and extremely dangerous."

Loki leapt from his seat and faced me. "Do you know what power you have? That is incredible! Why do you not use it?"

There was only one answer for that question: "Because it's not right."

Loki looked like I had slapped him in the face again. "That. That is your reason?"

"Yes!"

He turned around. "You are a fool."  
At that I stood and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. "You're the fool for thinking it's alright to take advantage of people." We stared at each other intensely, not saying a word. Then, all of a sudden, Loki quickly grabbed the hand I had touched him with in a crushing grip, one that almost made me cry out in pain.

"Come on then," he said smiling. I twisted in pain as his hold grew tighter. "Use your power. Make me stop." I tried grabbing his hand with my other arm, but the pain from his grip prevented me. I couldn't even think clearly.

"No! Let go!"

"Use it!

"NO!"

Unintentionally, I had manipulated the energy around me. Loki flew back and landed twenty feet away. For the few seconds I stuck around, he didn't move. Knowing he wasn't dead, I glanced to see if anybody was watching. When I was sure there wasn't, I made a run for it.

* * *

The next day, I did not go to the park to see Loki. After the stunt he pulled, I never planned on seeing him again. So after school, I went straight home to bury my thoughts in homework and not Loki. I had stayed up last night replaying what had happened, and cringing at what he might do to me if he ever saw me again.

I threw my backpack on the kitchen table and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. Not cold enough to my liking, I concentrated on freezing the water molecules and pushing the energy from my hand to the drink. In a matter of seconds, it had been chilled.

"Is there no limit to what you can do?"

I slammed the refrigerator doors so hard that most of the papers and magnets had fallen off.

"Oooh, bad day?" Loki darkly laughed. I whipped around to face him, ready to throw my water bottle directly at his face. He was sitting in a chair, feet propped up on the table, wearing that goddamn grin. Against my better judgment, I went to get a glass for my water bottle instead of throwing it at his head.

"You know Evie," his dark voice suddenly becoming very close, "I really didn't enjoy your little stunt yesterday." His warm breath tickled my neck and his mouth briefly touched my ear. I quickly turned around and held his gaze as he towered over me. He brought his hands behind me and gripped the counter, closing the space between us.

"I was just about to say the same thing to you," I replied through gritted teeth. "And don't call me Evie." Loki's grin widened. "Oh, how lucky I am to find a girl with such fire. I just love it. It's really going to get you in to trouble." His tone was as menacing as his smile, and it just got me angrier and angrier. I had a fantastic angle to knee him where the sun didn't shine, but as pissed off as I was I didn't think I wanted to provoke a fight just yet.

"Until now you're the only trouble I've had to deal with," I retorted, trying to shove his arm away. But he held still.

Loki stared at me intensely and his voice was deep as he spoke. "I'm not the only trouble out there." Was that a threat? He didn't necessarily say it menacingly, in fact it sounded more like a warning than a threat. He was so difficult to understand, and I wasn't in the mood to play games. Loki let his arm slide away as I pushed past him.

"Loki," I sighed. "Why are you here?"

"We had a deal, did we not?"

"No Loki, I don't just mean in my house. Why are you here at all?"

I silently pleaded that if there was one answer he would ever tell me, it would be this one. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment, choosing not to look at me. For someone so intimidating, he sure could look vulnerable. My inner self yelled at me for hurting him the other day. He then approached me, but when he stopped he said nothing. Instead, he brushed a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Maybe one day I will tell you."

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. Before I could even think about what to say, the front door slammed closed.

"Shit, it's Brandon." Loki looked at me confused. "My brother." I quickly grabbed his hand and whisked him down the hallway, throwing us in to my parent's room and silently closing the door.

"You need to leave." I ordered. "Brandon can't see you." He would kill me if he knew I was alone in the house with some guy. Especially if said guy was someone he never met before and was considerably older than I was. I didn't want to think about what would happen. I hurried and opened up the only window in the room as wide as I could.

Loki just nodded. "Is our deal still on?"

We didn't have time for this. "Yes, yes." I rushed. "Just go, I'll see you at the park the same time tomorrow."

Loki nodded again, and I didn't wait to watch him leave. I rushed out of the room, shutting the door behind me with eyes closed feeling very relieved.

"Who were you talking to?"

My eyes shot open in panic. Brandon stood in front of me, looking extremely messy and dirty in his soccer uniform. Team captain, and he was proud of it. Even got a scholarship for it for his first-choice college.

"No one." I lied hurriedly. Brandon eyed me suspiciously. Loki probably couldn't have left so quickly, so I silently prayed he heard our conversation, and was hiding.

I opened the door wide and let Brandon through. The window was closed, making me think Loki used his own way of leaving. Brandon looked around for a moment, satisfied but confused.

"Sorry sis, thought I heard something. Senior year must be getting to me. Tons of crazy shit happening."

I leaned my back against the bedroom door, heart beating rapidly. Yeah Brandon, tell me about it.


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter of flashback, with memories taking place over the course of a few months.~

* * *

"You're not wearing your uniform."

Well, someone was observant.

"It's Saturday." I replied simply, but Loki seemed confused. "You know," I continued, "no school on the weekend?" He just nodded his head, but I could tell he was still a little perplexed. He, on the other hand, was once again wearing work clothes. The dark blue shirt underneath his black coat really made his eyes pop.

"Did you have work again today?"

He glanced down at himself before he answered. "Yes, yes I did."

I sat down on the same bench as last time. "That sucks. What do you do?" He took the seat next to me. His hair was starting to grow longer and curl behind his ear. I stopped myself from reaching up to touch it.

"I can't really say."

Either he worked for the government, or he was just trying to slide by my questions. There was only one choice I was willing to bet money on. I just nodded at his answer.

"So, what questions do you have for me today?"

He shifted in his spot. "Actually, I have something to show you." That caused me to raise an eyebrow. From his coat pocket, he pulled out pages of folded paper. I opened them slowly, reading the title out loud:

"An Analysis of Gamma Radiation on the Body, by Dr. Bruce Banner." My eyes quickly skimmed the first few pages, my mind not believing what I was reading.

"This," Loki started speaking, "does not really explain your situation, but it might help." Reading through, apparently this doctor had a run-in with gamma radiation, which could have very well been what had changed me too. But it ultimately turned against him. His entire physique could change, which worried me. What if the same thing could happen, but I just didn't know it yet? I looked at him suddenly.

"You got this for me?"

His brows furrowed. "Well, someone had to assist me. I'm not that fond of the..."

...the..

...kump..."

I raised an eyebrow.

"...cop.."

"Computer?" I asked.

"Yes. That. The computer."

We stared at each other without talking. I bit my lip, but before I knew it I was hysterically laughing. And for the longest time, I couldn't stop. Loki just stated at me with the most confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, wiping a tear from my eye. "That's just too funny. How can you not remember how to say 'computer?'" Loki just shrugged, and I glanced down at the papers again. "Thank you."

He nodded. "As an apology for yesterday." That caught me off guard as well, but luckily he didn't notice.

"Well, I'm sorry too," I said as I shoved the papers into my leather jacket pocket. "But it looks like I've lost of all my papers on Norwegian scientists, so I'll have to take a rain check." He actually smiled. It was a small one, granted. But a smile. And then puff, it was gone. Vanished into thin air, and his normal stock face returned.

"Why are you always so angry?" I wondered.

"I am not always angry." He retorted, practically sulking in his seat. What was he, five?

"Well you always seem to be around me."

"That's not true, Evie."

"Don't call me that."

And at that he truly smiled.

* * *

Months past, and our friendship grew. In the beginning, it was rough. When we had a good day, a bad one would soon follow. Our fights were the worst; it was like we came from two different worlds. Sometimes I really thought Loki did. He had such trouble with society, but he just explained it to me as "We don't have all this where I come from." That included, but was not limited to, Chinese food, movie theaters, The Smiths, cars, sex books, and ice cream. _Ice cream._

He was a hard person to deal with. Our personalities just clashed too much. A good source of our arguing came from my abilities, which Loki thought I should use to my advantage. It took forever to drill it into his skull that it would never happen. But once we had learned to deal with each others points of view, we were totally in sync. When it came to the point where all our days were good ones, I couldn't believe it.

"You're my best friend." I blurted out one day. We were in my back porch sitting on the swing seat. Although Loki had been over my house quite often, I had still managed to keep him a secret from my family.

He wore a sad smile in response. "You must not have many friends then."

I turned in my seat to face him. "But I do! That's the crazy thing." He was silent, and waited for me  
to continue. "I have tons of friends, but none of them are like you. Friends I've had for years haven't heard half the things I tell you, and I've only known you for months. Heck, I still don't know how old you are." Whenever this was brought up, Loki would always stick by his answer of, "A lot older than 16."

He remained silent, and did not look at me. I shouldn't have said anything, it just made everything so awkward. I waited a few moments before I realized Loki had nothing to say back to me.

Extremely upset, I got up, walked inside, and closed the door behind me. It just, hurt...to know that after me saying how I felt, Loki had nothing to say back. I mean, it wasn't like I said "I love you" or anything...

The door opened and closed quietly behind me. I did not turn around.  
"Evie.." That's another thing that changed. Over time, my annoyance of the name grew in to admiration whenever Loki said it. Just Loki. Anyone else who tried would not get away with it.

"I'm sorry," Loki continued. "I am not good with discussing things of this nature."

I nodded, and still did not turn around.

"But you mean a lot to me as well."

* * *

I pressed my back against his and looked at the stars. "Wow, you can almost never see this many. It's so beautiful."

Loki shook his head in agreement. "There's so much out there that you can never see from down here. Perhaps one day I can show you." I was confused at what he meant by that and how he would show me, but I took happiness in the statement all the same. I shuffled over, placing my head on his shoulder.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes."

I closed my eyes and smiled. I was just so happy. When I opened my them I looked up to see Loki watching me. My heart skipped a beat. Sometimes I forgot how handsome he was. And at that moment, he never seemed so...enticing. I kept my eyes locked on his lips. And for a moment, I could have sworn both of us leaned in.

But Loki pulled back, and fumbled with his words. "I...you...you're too young." I understood where he was coming from. But I couldn't help and lean in once again.

"Yeah, but you're only young  
once." And then Loki brought his lips to mine.

It wasn't my first kiss, but it certainly was my best. Maybe because this was with someone I had unexplainable feelings for, or maybe it was because he was a much more experienced man. Whatever it was, I didn't care. His lips were so soft and gentle. Nervously, I ran my fingers through his hair, and he deepened the kiss. As he pulled me closer he slowly let his tongue touch mine, and I eagerly returned the gesture. His hold tightened as my grip became stronger. We broke apart for air, maybe hoping one of us would have an answer to all this. But we didn't. And we didn't care. We brought our lips back together.

But then suddenly, he pulled away, as if he has just realized what had just been going on. My stomach dropped and I felt an immediate numb feeling take over my body. Loki stood up, and very suddenly said, "I'm sorry." His voice was so... sad. I wanted to know what had happened, what had gone wrong for him to do this. But my questions were left unanswered, and Loki walked away.

* * *

That was the last time I saw him. After that night he refused to make any contact with me. He didn't have a phone, and I had no idea where he lived. Not that I would be the one to make the first move anyway: he's the one that walked away from me. But still, I would stop by all the usual places hoping I would see him. Sometimes I'd wait for hours. Other times if I was sure no one was around I would just sit there and cry. At first I thought he just needed some time to get his thoughts straightened out. But as the days turned into weeks, and as the weeks turned into months, I realized Loki had left for good.

I had to accept that my best friend wasn't coming back.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8, in which the Avengers form a rock band. Natasha on mic, Tony and Steve on guitar, Bruce on bass, Clint on electric keyboard, and Thor on drums. And Loki on tambourine.

Or just a continuation of the original story.

* * *

"Evelyn.

Are you alright?"

Thor's deep voice shook me from my daze. I hadn't even realized we were standing in front of the debriefing room.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "My mind was elsewhere." Thor nodded understandingly, and opened the door to the room. We walked in together, all eyes on us. Except for Fury, everyone from before was there. Even Loki. I shot him a glance but he just looked away. My heart sank from that one simple action. Either Thor noticed the exchange or the difference in my demeanor, because he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I gave him a small smile in return.

"Well, look who decided to show up." Tony Stark commented, strolling toward us. Thor lowered his arm and regarded him carefully. Other then before, this was the first time I had ever seen him in person. He was really handsome, and I had read enough in the tabloids to know that he was aware of it. His reputation preceded him. I wasn't sure if his previous statement was meant jokingly, and I couldn't tell by the look on his face.

I just shrugged. "I didn't really have a choice, did I?" It was then I realized that they were all trying to figure me out. Hopefully, first impressions weren't taken too seriously, because punching Loki in the face probably wasn't the best way to introduce myself to anyone.

"About before," I said, speaking to the whole room. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act so defiant. I was just so angry because I had no idea what was going on. And then when I did...well, it was just a big shock."

The red head, Natasha I think it was, got up from her seat and stood next to Tony. "Don't worry about it. We all know that S.H.I.E.L.D gets into our heads, whether they like it or not." At that she eyed Tony, making sure he heard her emphasis. "Your reaction wasn't that outstanding."

Once again, all I could do was shake my head. It was still a little, unbelievable, that I was here. These guys were super heroes, celebrities to the entire world. And here I was, standing in the middle of all of them.

Steve, who was leaning against the wall on the opposite side, asked the million dollar question. "So, why does Thanos want you?"

Natasha's friend Clint also commented. "Did S.H.I.E.L.D. tell you anything yet?"

I shook my head. "No, I only know what you all heard."

Steve persisted. "But why does he need you for the Tesseract?"

Thankfully at that moment, Fury walked in to the room with a young female agent at his side. She was tall, with her dark brown hair pulled but her bangs just grazed her bright blue eyes. She regarded the scene carefully, as if she had to be prepared for something to happen.

"We will get to that, Rogers."  
Fury said, talking to him directly. "And how nice of everyone to show up." I bit my tongue and kept silent at the jab. Fury put his hands on his hips and sighed.

"The reason why I haven't told you all everything, is because we don't know everything." The fact that S.H.I.E.L.D was kept in the dark was both impressive and mortifying. If they couldn't figure out what was going on, then what were they going to do?

"The only reason that we know Thanos wants Adams is because Loki told us." Everyone's eyes shot at the god, but he just continued to watch the director. "Apparently, she had a run in with the Tesseract which Thanos believes could benefit him. Is that correct Adams?"

"Yes."

Tony laughed. "How nice that the God of Lying finally tells us the truth. That would have really been convenient a year ago."

"If you rather would have dealt with Thanos and the Tesseract, as well as cleaning up her corpse," at that Loki pointed to me, "then by all means, forgive me." No one said anything, and Loki silently fell into the background once again. Fury broke the tense moment, but turned it on to me.

"Adams, explain your experience with the Tesseract."

I played with my hands and looked around the room nervously. "I...I didn't know it was the Tesseract. It looked different than the picture you showed."

Fury nodded. "That's because your grandfather, James Adams, had a breakthrough with the Tesseract. He was one of the first scientists to work on the Cube. He was actually able to harness some of the energy and stabilize it so it could be contained. Your father's been trying to replicate the energy." I hadn't heard any of this information before. A wave of angered flooded through me because not only had my father never told me this, but Fury was the one that told me. But I had to be real. I had to understand why my father was so secretive, if the consequences were this high.

"The energy was in a test-tube." I continued. "It kind of, absorbed in to my body. I didn't realize the energy was filled with gamma radiation until I read an account that was similar to mine." I turned to Bruce Banner, who always seemed to be okay with not being a part of anything.

"That's the work you've read?" he asked, skeptically. I nodded. "Yes. A friend showed it to me." Out of the corner of my eye, I watched to see if Loki made a move. But he remained still. "It cleared some things up for me."

Bruce was extremely interested. "How did it affect you?"

It was so hard to explain. "There wasn't a lot of energy in the tube. It enables me to manipulate other energy, but I can't create the energy itself."

Thor raised his eyebrows. "Can you demonstrate your ability?"

"...sure."

I looked around the room, trying to figure out what to use. Fire or electricity was a great offensive energy. I walked over to the light switch, and placed my palm on the center. My hand felt warm, and as I pulled away, a steam of tangible electric current followed. I walked back to my original spot, holding the energy in my hands.

"I can hold it and channel it." I explained. "Use it against someone or protect myself." Tony nodded in appreciation, and Natasha raised an eyebrow respectively. I dropped my hands, and the energy shot back to the switch.

Clint hopped off his seat and stepped forward. "So because your powers came from the Tesseract, you can find it and control it?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Loki answered for me. "It's too fantastic of an idea, but that it was Thanos believes. Because the energy she absorbed was so diminutive in respect to the Tesseract, it's impossible."

But Thanos didn't know that.

"Soooo. What's the plan?" Tony asked, turning around to see if anyone had an answer.

"The plan," Fury started, elevating his voice, "is for you and Banner to track the Cube again. But this time, see if Adams can help you."

"And when we find the Cube, what happens?" Thor asked.

Natasha commented as well. "We can't just send it back into space again. This will just keep happening."

Fury solemnly answered. "It's the current decision of S.H.I.E.L.D and the Council, that the Tesseract should be destroyed.

There was a moment of silence before all hell broke loose. Thor adamantly believed the Cube was too great a power to be destroyed, and should be kept for the greater use of the universe. Natasha and Tony both agreed it should be kept on earth and researched more thoroughly. Clint, Bruce, and Steve all believed that if a way could be found, that the Tesseract should be destroyed. Loki said nothing, as did I.

Fury raised his hand for silence, and his tone grew impatient. "If you all could just shut the hell up for one minute, I can explain." The room quieted, and Fury lowered his hand. "Thank you. Our decision isn't definite yet, but it seems the best course of action given what happened last time. But no decision will become ultimate once we have the Tesseract.

Stark and Banner, see what you two can do." And with that, he and the silent agent who followed him left. As if on cue, the group split off. Tony and Bruce discussed how they could find the Tesseract again and left for the lab. Clint, Steve, and Natasha left for the fitness rooms, agreeing that the spare time could be used for training. That left me, Loki and Thor. But not for long. Loki brushed past us without even a glance.

"Loki..." I called out after him. But he didn't even stop. My shoulders fell and I wanted to crawl in a hole. Thor was still optimistic about the situation though.

"Do not worry, he just needs time." And he walked out, but not before giving me another hopeful smile.

I waited a few minutes, then quickly followed the path Loki had taken. But I had to make a quick stop before I faced him.

* * *

"Come to tell me how you're not going to follow orders again, Adams?"

I walked in to Fury's office cautiously. The room was spacious, adorned with dark furniture and rows of bookcases. Fury didn't really seem the reading type; more of a hands on guy if you asked me. Everywhere you looked there was a S.H.I.E.L.D logo, from the carpeted floor to the stack of papers on Fury's desk, which he seemed totally immersed in. He didn't even look up when I entered, which really creeped me out seeing as how he only had one eye.

"No. I came to talk."

Fury stopped writing and looked up at me. He leaned against his chair and motioned for me to sit down. The chair I sat in was much lower then his. I read somewhere a lot of corporate officials do that so that it makes them seem more commanding.

"About what?"

"I want to learn to fight." I replied simply. My worst case scenario wasn't that he would say no, it was that he would laugh at me. Thankfully, he said neither. I used his silence to continue my case.

"I can't rely on everyone to watch out for me. They have to look out for themselves to. And if something happens where I'm alone, I'll be completely defenseless. I'd be a much stronger opponent if I could use my abilities as well as hand to hand combat."

Fury nodded. "Alright."

...

That's it? I had waited outside his door for 20 minutes preparing this whole speech how I wasn't defenseless and that I could take care of myself.

I raised my eyebrow in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Yes." he assented. Then I remembered I was talking to Nick Fury, who probably never said a joke his whole life. "I agree with you. I considered asking you to take some training exercises with our instructors but I wasn't going to ask until the situation arose. Some of the trainers think you're too young though, and might not even agree to take you. They think if you learn to fight if will just provoke a greater argument."

Well that was a lame excuse. Fury got up from his seat and gave me a look. "You will have to learn to follow instructions though, Adams. I don't want to hear that the person I'm breaking rules for to train in our facilities is acting like a teenage brat. Am I clear?"

Whoa, calm down buddy. Acting like a good girl, I ignored the comment, and stood from my seat. "Yes, sir." Fury nodded approvingly.

"Tomorrow morning, 5 a.m. sharp,"

My insides groaned already.

"I want you at the weights room. An instructor will be there to help start your training." He walked back to his seat and sat down, burying himself in a pile of papers. Did anyone know how to say hello or goodbye in this place?

I walked to the door, but before I opened it Fury called after me.

"Adams."

I turned around. Fury put down the papers and had a weird look on his face. I wish I knew what it was but this was Nick Fury after all.

"Good luck."

I nodded at the statement, and then quickly left. Fury or military training was nothing compared to the god I was about to face.


	9. Chapter 9

Time to answer some reviews I have noticed I have been neglecting for far too long:

**Larissa Lahn Ann**- Evelyn is 19, about to start her first semester in college. I've read that Thor is around 2000 years old, and I guess that goes for Loki as well. But I'm not quite sure about him. And as for Loki protecting Evelyn…we will get to that;)

**BVBlover4eve**r- I am not a PLL fan but that is so strange because I even considered naming Evelyn Aria! (only Arya)

**Me and My Alter Egos Inc**- I have considered writing about other Avengers but since my Marvel knowledge is not where I would like it to be I am probably only going to focus on the characters highlighted in the movie, since I know their personalities better.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really brightened my day!

* * *

Not surprisingly, Loki hadn't won the hearts of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. just yet, so he was residing in the cell he was kept in a year ago. Through gossiping with a talkative S.H.I.E.L.D agent, I had found out the prison was actually made for Bruce in case he hulked out. Knowing that such precautions had to be taken was sad but also really scary.

Walking in to the room, I was overcome by the sheer size of the place. In the center was the cell, but it looked a lot more like a glass box. My footsteps echoed loudly as I descended down the steps, but Loki didn't seem to notice. Nor did he when the door to his cell opened, or when I stepped in.

"If you have come to yell at me again," he said when he finally spoke, "please shut the door." His tone was a mix of things; quiet and sad, but the tiniest bit cynical.

"I'm not here to yell at you, Loki."

His eyes shot to me. "Then have you come to tell me of the great acquaintances you and my brother have become?"

I stood there dumbfounded. "...what?"

He brushed past me and strode to the edge of the glass, leering out. "It isn't that difficult to notice. I can only imagine what Thor has to say about me."

Furious, I walked over and planted myself in front of Loki, my back pressed against the glass.

"Can you stop acting like a jealous idiot for one minute and  
consider that your brother actually cares about you?" At "jealous", he turned his head and scoffed.

"Well that's what you're acting like!" I exclaimed.

"Please," he snarkily replied, "don't turn this on me when the issue is concerning you and my brother." He turned like he was going to walk away, but I grabbed his chin with my hand and forced him to look at me. "Your brother was the one that told me why you left."

And then, things changed. My hand fell and it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room as the gravity of the situation sank in. Loki stood there, silent. Why did we have to fight, why did we always fight? I brushed by Loki and sat on the bed, looking at the floor.

"He told me everything. And he did it because he knew I was too angry to listen to you." I waited for Loki to say something, anything. But he didn't. So I continued rambling on.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, and I'm so, so sorry I hit you. I was just so angry and upset. Seeing you now without a word for three years... I've missed you! I didn't know what to do or how to feel. It's just messed me up."

Loki silently walked over and sat next to me. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and calming. "I only left because I thought involving myself in your life anymore would lead to certain danger. I couldn't even risk saying goodbye."

I just nodded; knowing if I spoke my voice would crack. But he continued,

"But you still are my greatest friend."

That did it. I could feel the waterworks coming. I blinked furiously, trying to prevent any tears from escaping. Hiding my face behind hair wasn't working either, because Loki seemed to notice.

"Are you...crying?"

"No." My lie was so pathetic I almost laughed.

"I'm surprised."

I looked at him blankly in response.

He continued, "It's just strange seeing a human side to you." The corners of his mouth turned up just the slightest bit.

I shoved him, and I found that I too was wearing a smile. I wiped my eyes, happy the air had been cleared.

"So," I said, changing the subject. "You're a god."

"Yes."

"The god of Mischief...?"

"Correct."

"Figures." I snorted. If Loki was the god of anything, it had to be that. It all made sense now. "You haven't changed." I added. He had heard me say it before, but the statement made me feel happy.

He nodded, and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You haven't changed either...and yet you have." I stared at him in silence, waiting for him to continue.

"You're not a child anymore. Your Midgardian ways say that you are already an adult, but you will always be young to me." He gave a small laugh. "Sometimes you may act like a child but I know you have matured. You are an old soul in a young body." _I_ should have been the one laughing; if anyone was the old soul in a young body it was him. I was too afraid to ask how old he was just yet, among other things. Like why he spared me from Thanos all those years ago. But that would be a talk for another day.

"Don't change it back to me," I said laughingly. "Come on, I want you to tell me everything."

"Everything...?" he asked, confused. "Everything about what?"

Silly god. "You!" I shouted good-naturedly. "Come on, there's so much you never told me. And now I have three years catching up to do."  
Loki began to protest, but I stopped him with one word.

"Please."

There was a brief pause where I could see in Loki's eyes that he was making a decision. He took a breath, and started.

* * *

I just barely dragged my butt out of bed to head down for training. My battle with a good night's sleep was lost all thanks to Loki. I sat there the whole night thinking about everything he had told me; Asgard, Jotun, Odin, the Biofrost, Idyunn... the list went on and on. It was hard not to keep my jaw open or badger him with questions. Which I had a ton of, believe me. The only thing more unbelievable than all of it was that Loki actually told me about it. And as incredible as it sounded, I actually did believe him. Knowing Thor was also a god helped make the story more believable, as well as the footage I had seen of New York a year ago. I wasn't sure why, but it was his past that struck me as more odd. Maybe because it was the most alien to me.

Despite Loki's confession, I still felt that there was a lot he still had to tell me. He talked most about his family, and what it was like living in Thor's shadow. He described Asgard, and what it's culture was like. And he spoke of other gods as well; beings we thought were mere tales. Where did the line between fiction and reality begin, and where did it end?

The thoughts kept me in a daze as I showered and dressed, and I quietly tiptoed down to the weights room. The ship was a quiet buzz, but I didn't want any of the Avengers seeing me. I wasn't sure if Fury had told them about our agreement, and most of me didn't want them to. Mainly because I was scared of what they would think.

I walked in to the weights room. It's complete with all the barbells Thor could ever want, with machines I had no clue how to use. Standing with his arms crossed was a man who looked liked he had just had stepped out of the army. If an older Channing Tatum had been in the army. His hair was buzzed cut, and his demeanor screamed trained and commanding. His muscles ripped through the sleeves of his shirt, and the material clung tightly around his abdomen. I didn't like my men with too much muscle, but hey, I was all for some eye candy.

"Adams." He greeted with a curt nod. I nodded back, unsure what to say.

"I'm Agent Reid. I will be conducting most of your training here at S.H.I.E.L.D." His voice was deep and quiet, his eyes unblinking. "Fury has personally instructed me with this task. My mission is to get you as physically prepared as possible for whatever you might encounter. And I will not tolerate failure. Understand?"

I gulped, and nodded. This guy looked like he could break me in two, and do it just for fun. Damn that Fury, I bet he picked the toughest guy he knew just so he could do that too. Well, I was not going to let him scare me.

"Yes sir." I responded, my tone sounding surprisingly commanding. Reid curtly nodded, which I assumed was a sign of approval. His classed his hands behind his back.

"Let's begin."

We started with the basics, moderate stretching and jogging a few laps. The jogging then turned into sprinting, which then turned into running. Luckily, one of the advantages of absorbing part of the Tesseract was that things like this were easier for me. But after about an hour, it felt like that stupid Cube hadn't done crap for me.

After running, Reid instructed me to do all kinds of things. Pull ups, push ups, jump rope, leg lifts...it didn't sound too bad, but when you are counting to hundreds, believe me when I say it does. By 7:30, my right side was screaming, and my head was covered in sweat. Reid seemed to approve though.

"Do some cool down stretches. You did alright for your first day. Meet me back here at 18:00." He walked away without waiting for my response.

Are you kidding me? I have to come back? I let out a garbled yell, and fell back on to the floor. He mentioned that once I finished the basics, we would be moving on to aerobics. I was not ready to do any flips today. I pushed myself off the floor, and stretched my sore body. Still angry from knowing I had to come back, I decided to have a go at the punching bag. I was in my zone for only a few minutes before a voice interrupted me.

"What are you doing?"

I quickly turned around and saw Steve, standing in work-out clothes with a duffle bag in his hand.

"Nothing." I lied quickly. "I've just been bored and I thought getting some exercise while I was here wouldn't be such a bad thing."

He stared at me, deciding whether or not to believe me. I walked away from the punching bag and downed the rest of whatever I had in my water bottle.

"You don't exactly seem like the early morning riser type." He commented.

"Then what is my type?" I snapped. "Wait. I'm sorry. I didn't...I'm just in a bad mood. I thought getting a few punches in would do me some good."

Steve's face softened. He was so young...but so old.

"Is it because of Loki?" he asked, masking his tone of any judgment. But I could tell he was waiting with extreme anticipation.

My voice was cool as I spoke. "No." I started to walk to the showers but Steve continued to talk.

"Look kid, I understand if you're mad at him. We all are. You don't have to hide it."

I turned and regarded him with a blank expression. "Loki is a friend."

"So, you always give your friends a hit to the face? Is that your way of saying hello?" His retort was not necessarily angry, but I could hear the tension rising.

"It was an exception, and I thought he deserved it. But I i immediately regretted..."

He tossed down his bag and walked to me, standing so close that I could smell his aftershave, and see the beads of sweat on his neck. His blue eyes were cold and piercing. "You regret not playing nice with the man who tried to destroy part of this country? And now you say he's a friend? How messed up are you?"

"You don't know him. We've talked..."

"And he's the God of Lying!" He yelled, grabbing my shoulders in his hands. "How can you believe a word he says? All we know for sure is that he was trying to hurt hundreds of people, and he didn't care who got in his way. How do you know you're not one of them?"

I shrugged off his shoulders and backed away. "He wouldn't be here if I was."

But then, a thought crossed my mind, and I could see in Steve's face that it crossed his too. But only he had the courage to say it. "And how do you know that this isn't all a part of Thanos' plan? What if this is really what he wants; Loki getting near you, so he can figure you out. What then?"

I backed away silently, keeping my eyes on Steve before turning away.

"You don't know him." I repeated again, only this time my anger could not keep away the weakness in my voice.

"Think about it, Evelyn," Steve called out before I hurriedly left the weight room.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you everyone for being so patient, I've been going through a severe case of writer's block. I was surprised a lot of you thought Steve was out of line! I thought he was acting like the voice of reason, but then again, there are a lot of die-hard Loki fan girls out there. (I proudly am one as well)

Grimgrin-Holy crap! I never even noticed! The worst speller award goes to moi. But thank you!

Larissa Lahn Ann- Point well taken. I just always feel like Evelyn is so young compared to the rest of the Avengers, especially Thor. (And Loki.)

* * *

The warm water beat down my body, soothing my aching limbs and temporarily washing away my worries. But the conversation with Steve kept replaying in my head. _What if he's right?_ He couldn't be, he doesn't know Loki like I do. But then again, did I really know Loki?

He wouldn't have talked for me for so long.

_He's working for Thanos._

He wouldn't have become friends with me.

_It was just bait._

He wouldn't have kissed me back.

_And you took it._

Frustrated, I turned the water off and grabbed a towel off the rack. I dried off and put on a fresh pair of jeans and a gray v-neck tee. My wardrobe was extremely casual compared to everyone else on the ship, running around in their tight blue body suits. Tony wore a Black Sabbath shirt yesterday though. That made me feel better.

I took one look in the mirror, and decided I should at least brush my hair. Towel dry it too, even. But it was 8 in the morning, and I was not about to pull out the hairdryer. I walked out of the shower, carrying my dirty work-out clothes in my arms and trying to balance the hairbrush on top.

"Hello."

Loki's voice startled me. I peeped out of my damp hair to see him towering over me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered back meekly.

"Hey."

_Come on Ev, get yourself together_. Loki reached out and lightly tugged at a piece of hair. "Your hair has gotten quite long."

"Yes. Yes it has."

We were quiet for a moment.

"I was thinking of cutting it." I continued nervously. Loki was running his finger through the ends, and shook his head. "I like it long." He commented quietly.

I couldn't decipher his actions. It was Steve's fault I was so paranoid. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had such a problem just making eye contact. I tore my eyes away from the wall and stole a quick glance at Loki. His bright blue eyes were mesmerizing, but frightening. As always. I knew them to be no other way.

"Hmm." I responded intelligently. And then before my brain could register it, my feet were carrying me away from Loki. He waited a few moments before jogging to catch up with me.

"Is something the matter?" He asked as we continued walking. My eyes were kept forward.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Truly sure?"

"Yup."

Loki gracefully took one step and glided in front of me, blocking my way. I looked up at him, totally immersed in his blue eyes.

"I don't believe you," he whispered.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I tell him how I felt? We just had a fight less than a day ago. Granted we made up, but there was still a lot of tension. The black and blue around his eye had completely faded, thankfully.

"I...uh...I just." The words came fumbling out before I could stop them, and I couldn't even think of a coherent sentence explaining myself to say. Loki remained silent as he regarded me, and I felt so bad. What was worse, lying to him or telling the truth?

"Why don't you leave the girl alone?"

Loki and I quickly turned and saw Steve standing at the other end of the hallway. He carried his duffle bag on one arm and there was barely any sweat on his body. I would bet all my money that Captain cut his training session short just to intervene. For the sake of the entire headquarters, I chose not to fling my dirty laundry in his face.

Loki slowly walked toward Steve. "And why would I do that?" he asked, his silky voice suddenly turning dark. Steve threw his bag down and strode right toward him, until the two were just inches away.

"Because she's scared of you."

Loki laughed. "Is she now? That's news to me."

Steve was clearly not amused, and the sweet, baby-faced boy suddenly twisted in anger. "Are you kidding me? How can you laugh about something like this?"

"Because you're wrong." Loki coolly replied.

"Oh," Steve retorted mockingly, "I'm wrong about the maniac who tried to destroy my country, and endanger its people? And now I'm wrong to see him do it again, and prevent it?" His voice was rising, and I looked around nervously hoping no one else was near to hear this.

I walked forward cautiously, "Steve..." I called, my voice cracking. He put up his hand and didn't even look me in the eye. "Don't interrupt kid. You're in over you head."

Kid? That fucking pissed me off. But before I could get a word in edge wise, Loki replied first. "I understand your quarrels, but you do not know..

"I know enough." Steve spat. The veins in his arms were popping out, and I was praying to every god that was out there that I wasn't about to watch a fight go down. "Maybe the reason she won't walk to you is because she's scared. " he continued. "Just like everyone else. And you know what? She should be. But I'm not going to let you take another innocent life." And with that, Steve grabbed his bag and left.

Loki and I stood in stunned silence.  
What...just happened.

"Is it true?" Loki asked, his back to me. I wish I could have seen the look on his face. Not that it would have helped much anyway, but I wanted to know if he was angry. At me.

"Loki..."

"Is it?" he repeated again, his voice dark and grim.

I gulped. "Steve talked to me earlier. He tried telling me I didn't know you, that everything I know about you is a lie. I told him that he was wrong because he only knew a part of you, but..."

Loki spun around and walked back to me, and grabbed my chin in his hand. "But what?" he asked venomously. I stood there shaking, my thoughts were reeling but my mouth said nothing.

"You believe him." he concluded. His hand dropped, and before I could stop him he brushed past me and walked away.

"Loki!" I called again in vain. But he didn't stop. I looked down the hallway where Steve left, and then Loki. And then I looked around the spot where I was standing with my wet laundry still in hand.

"Come in."

Thor's voice rang deeply through my eardrums, but softly to my heart. At least I had one friend here. I opened the door slowly, and poked my head through. Thor warmly smiled. "Hello, Evelyn."

I walked in and shut the door behind me, giving him a small smile in return. "Hi, Thor."

He pulled out a chair from the desk," Please sit. How are you?" I took the seat, and shrugged. "Alright thanks. Yourself?"

"Still trying to adjust to your Midgardian ways." I followed his gaze to the once fully functional digital clock, but was now pieces in the floor. I bit back a grin when he turned to me. "What do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

I resisted the urge to fidget in my seat. A wave of guilt washed over me that I was coming to Thor for help since I had only just met him. But he was my only choice.

"I need your help," I started, "advice is more like it..." Thor looked intrigued, and kept silent for me to continue.

"...about your brother."

The room was silent for only a moment until Thor's booming laughter completely engulfed it. My face turned deadpan and I felt my ears go red. Was there a joke in there? Because I wasn't getting it. When Thor had finally quieted down, my ears were ringing.

"Forgive me," he apologized. His tone was still light and full of laughter. "But I can not help you there. My brother is a puzzle I can not solve, nor anyone else if I must be honest."

"But you know him!" I replied exasperated. "You're his brother!" Who else could I turn to? I knew very little of Loki, and I was relying on Thor to help fill in some of the pieces. I continued, my tone pleading. "Please. Who else knows him better?"

Thor sat quietly, his elbow propped on the desk and his hand stroking his beard. He watched me as he contemplated what he had just heard.

"What do you wish to know?"

My heart lifted. Finally, I might be getting somewhere.

"He's mad at me. A few days ago, we got into an argument...no. Not an argument. I'm not really sure what it was. If it was an argument, I could handle it. But this was different. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not angry with him, but I know he is at me."

Thor removed his hand and sat up a little taller. "May I ask what the...dilemma...was about?"

What was it about? Steve, or my hesitation toward Loki? As upset as I was at Steve, I understood his point. And when I tried to distance myself from the situation, I saw his stance as clearly the more reasonable. My emotions and memories pulled me away, but my logic did not.

"Trust." I put simply. "I don't know whether I can trust Loki or not."

The god nodded, and thought for a moment before he spoke. "That is a difficult place to be in, and I can understand your worry. My brother has done horrible things that he could never repay, no matter what the punishment is...

...but, I do see good in him." I picked my eyes off the floor and studied Thor's face. His expression seemed sad yet thoughtful, and his words were carried in a heavy tone. He must have thought about this same thing countless numbers of times.

"Perhaps I am an idiot." He continued. "A happy, hopeful idiot. But Loki is my brother, and no matter what he does I can not give up on him."

Thor's words sank deep as a knock at the door prevented him from continuing. We shared a brief glance, confused at who it could be.

"Enter." he called.

The door opened and I turned to see who had entered.

It was Loki.

He stood in the doorway not saying a word. Shit. This didn't look good. I slowly rose from my seat and walked over, but he turned around and attempted to leave. Before he could, I grabbed his wrist.

"Can we have a moment?" I asked, turning to Thor. Before he could answer, I pulled Loki outside and shut the door behind us.

Loki tore his hand away and turned his back to me. "Hey! Come on, what's with you? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Why?" he mockingly asked, half turning toward me.

"Okay, I know why..."

He cut me off. "You don't think me a friend, and now I see you once again with my brother. I believe that is reason enough for my actions."

I sighed. Again with the Thor thing. "For the last time, your brother and I are not gossiping about you. He's a friend, and he wants what's best for you." Loki crossed his arms and scoffed. I felt like I was dealing with a five-year old. "And the reason why I came to him was to get advice. About you. And how to make you forgive me. You don't have to jump down my throat and make it seem like we're dating behind your back."

Ever since Loki had returned, part of me wanted to know if he had any feelings for me. That same part of me was still attracted to him. The feelings had wavered over the last three years, but they were still there. Granted, with his behavior the past couple of days the only feelings I had for him were pretty violent. But there were still those small moments where I could see the Loki I had become friends with all those years ago. I was hoping my jab at the end would evoke some sort of emotion to prove in some small way that he had feelings too; anger, jealousy... But it didn't. Loki's mouth remained in a hard, tight line and it seemed like he hadn't even heard me.

I took a breath and made sure to speak more calmly. "Why did you even come to see Thor?"

"It doesn't matter." Loki replied sullenly. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Tell me." I said softly.

Loki grunted and looked away. But he did not move. I stopped myself from smiling because I know I had won.

"Perhaps," he started slowly and a little angrily, "I was hoping my brother could offer me some advice as well." I felt a grin spread across my face.

"About what?" I knew I was pressing my luck. "You know what." Loki called as he turned around and walked away. I ran up and planted myself in front of him, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. I wanted to hear him say it.

"About what?" I asked again softly. He stared at me and gave a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"You." he finally said.

I felt my heart skip a beat and my cheeks grow warm. If Loki only saw me as a friend, I could be content with that. I didn't want to fight anymore.

I turned around, and looped my arm in his. We started walking, and I beamed at him.

"So, guess what."


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all the reviews, especially Lahrissa Lahn Ann. (holy cow!)

* * *

Loki laughed in my face when I told him I was training. Not some tiny chuckle, mind you. He was in full out hysterics. That did not boost my morale. I had been training three times a day for the past five days. Places I didn't even know that had muscle were sore and achy. Out of the three sessions, the first was basic-yet brutal-exercising. The last two were usually hand to hand combat. Supposedly, I was to move on to weapons next, but I wasn't sure if I could handle a gun just yet. Reid monitored most of the sessions, but when he didn't, I was supervised by a specialized agent who had a lot of practice in the field.

Day 6 at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, session number three. It was just past 8:00, but I knew I wasn't working with Reid again. That guy got here probably an hour before I did just to get in more gym time. But I didn't have to wait long to see who was training me today. I turned around to the sound of footsteps and saw a red-headed bob walking my way.

"Natasha." I was surprised to say the least, I didn't expect Fury to assign her as my trainer. She was wearing tight dark blue jeans, a burgundy tee, and a leather jacket. On her hip, as always, was her holster and gun. I wouldn't doubt that she kept it under her pillow when she slept.

"Adams." She regarded me as she crossed her arms and gave a curt nod. If she was going to train me today, I wonder how many of the Avengers knew.

"Who else..." I started phrasing the question but she cut me off.

"Don't worry. Only Barton and I know."

I nodded, content with the answer. She shrugged off her jacket and undid her holster.

"You know, you shouldn't care what they think." She called as she went to throw her jacket on a bench.

I shrugged. "I usually don't. But for something like this..."

She grabbed a roll of white tape from an open bag and wrapped her hands, and then tossed it to me. After, she pulled out a piece of thin white chalk.

"I know." She said a bit sympathetically (as sympathetic as I thought Natasha could get, which wasn't a lot). "I understand. But it makes your life a lot easier when you don't."

She crouched down and drew a large circle on the floor with the white chalk. "We're going to work on your footwork today." She stepped in to the ring, squared her body, and slightly bent her knees. She brought her fists up to her face, and instructed me to do the same.

"I want you to block my hits," she ordered, "while staying within the circle." The circle had gotten a lot smaller since we both stepped inside. But it seemed simple enough. I bounced slightly on my heels, waiting for her to strike.

The first few seconds passed without so much as a blink. Then, out of nowhere, Natasha threw a punch to the right side of my face. I ducked, just barely missing it, and slapped her wrist away. Then, she quickly made another jab to my ribcage, and once I had successfully blocked that, she moved down and tried to hit my side.

"Good." she commented as I stopped her again. "You're better than I thought. But let's take the training wheels off and really start."

I could tell Natasha was going easy on me, but her punches were still coming on fast. She would stop and comment on my stance or block and tell me how to improve it. If I ever stepped outside the circle, Natasha got to throw a free jab.

After a while, Natasha started to strum up a conversation.

"So. What's with you and Loki?"

The question disarmed me, and Natasha hit me right in the shoulder. I shook both the hit and the question off.

"Dunno. Wish I knew."

I evaded a hit to the face, but then Natasha stopped. She stood up straight and raised and eyebrow.

"What do you mean you 'wish you knew?'"

I straightened and wiped the sweat from my brow. "It's a long story."

"Well, make it short." she retorted with a smirk.

"Really, really long."

She shrugged her shoulders and returned to her fighting stance. "I have a lot of time."

I held back a sigh and squared my shoulders. Natasha cracked her knuckles in return.

"Well," I started, taken aback as Natasha already tried to take a swing at me. Great. My concentration was going to be off.

"You already know Loki was working for Thanos." I continued as we circled our small perimeter. "He was sent to study me, and then take me back to him. But he never did."

Jab.

Block.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Now that." Block. "Is what I'd like to know."

I watched her contemplate the reasons in her mind, briefly pausing from the practice session. She still walked around the circle slowly, and I did the same as well.

"Do you think he's a friend to you?" she asked nonchalantly.

I wish people knew that whenever they asked me a question about Loki it was almost certain that I didn't have an answer. I cracked my neck. "I'm not sure. He knows I'm having some trust issues right now...but it's hard. I don't know what to think."

She clicked her tongue. "You do know who you're talking about, right?" Her tone suddenly became pointed, and she crossed her arms. Wow, talking about Loki really brightened up everyone's day.

The question almost brought out a scream from me. I was sick of it, and I was guilty of asking it most of all. "Listen, I don't want to get a lecture." I replied. That brought out an even darker look to her face. "You know one Loki, I know another."

"But they're the same person." She retorted, her voice rising as her tone got progressively angrier.

"I know that! Don't you think that's the reason why I don't know what to do?"

I didn't even realize how loud I was yelling until I stopped. Natasha was silent, and her face fell.

I turned my face away. "I'm really sorry." I apologized softly. "I didn't mean to yell. I've just been really angry lately and I don't know why." I plopped down on the floor and put my head in between my legs.

"Yes you do."

Natasha's tone had no hint of anger, and I looked at her. The corners of her mouth turned up into a sad smile. Her arms dropped to her side and she walked over and sat down next to me.

"You just told me" she said softly. I picked my head up and met her eyes. She was so pretty...what happened to her to make her seem so cold?

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

"My opinion on Loki isn't going to change any time soon," she continued. "If he really has changed, he's going to have to prove it. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. There's always the chance that he isn't really your friend."

"And there's always the chance that he is." I whispered back. Natasha nodded, both of us not wanting to start another potential argument.

Suddenly, Natasha's phone started vibrating. She slid the touch screen and read the text quickly.

"It's from Stark.. for me and Barton. Him and Banner think they can track the Cube now and want us to bring you down there."

I nodded. "Why just you and Barton?"

Natasha snorted. "The rest of the group couldn't use a cell phone if they're life depended on it." She got up and brushed herself off.

I could just see Steve yelling at a cell phone, commanding it to work. And then Thor, smashing it to pieces in his hand with a confused look on his face. I got up as well, following Natasha to the door.

We walked side by side down the long hallways. "So, you and Loki were just friends, right?" she tried asking nonchalantly, but failing miserably.

My mouth fell open. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged. "I'm just asking. You never know."

"You know what," I said laughingly. "Maybe I'll tell you, but not until I hear about what's really going on between you and Clint."

The reaction was almost instant. Natasha's face turned almost as red as her hair and she jabbed me in the side.

"Barton is a colleague. And a friend."

She put a lot of emphasis on the last word. Maybe too much. I stopped sniggering from my verbal hit, surprised it actually evoked some emotion from Natasha. My laughs quieted down.

"So." She said softly. "This is what having a sister is like, I guess."

I almost stopped dead in my tracks. For whatever reason I didn't.

"I don't know. I don't have a sister."  
I answered, slightly taken aback.

Natasha's reply was a simple "Hmm."

We were quiet until we reached the lab. Natasha stopped before the doors. "Til next time." she called as she turned and went on her way.

"Bye." I called out softly. In my head, I said goodbye to the side of Natasha I had seen today, and didn't know when I would see again.

* * *

If you're missing Loki, don't worry, he'll be in the next chapter. And I think a lot of you will like it:o


	12. Chapter 12

I have updated.

FINALLY.

I am SO sorry for the wait everyone, but thank you for being so patient and still reviewing. You guys are the best, and I will make sure to update quickly, like I have before.

oh and

I DO WHAT I WANTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

* * *

The glass door slid open as I stepped in to the makeshift lab. All kinds of gadgets littered the tables, and there were large blue prints spread across the floor. I tiptoed around them as I made my way inside.

Tony turned around from where he was standing. "Hey." He took his eyes off from the monitor that was behind him. It was covered with numbers and graphs and had a large scale diagram of the Tesseract. He wore dark blue jeans and a faded Motörhead shirt.

Bruce briefly looked up from his work at the sound, and nodded in my direction. "Hi." He pushed his round wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose and continued on with what he was doing.

"Hey yourselves." I greeted back as I sat on a stool next to Tony. I gravitated toward him more so than the doctor. Tony was one of the people I had been able to talk to the most here at S.H.I.E.L.D. Our attitudes and love of certain 80s music had brought us together. Bruce on the other hand...I barely ever heard the guy talk. I was lucky if I even got to see him, and if I did, he was always hiding in the corner of the room. Apparently, the last time he had been called into S.H.I.E.L.D, Bruce was only supposed to do research. Now, he was part of the team. Whether he, or the Hulk, liked it or not. Tony pressed a few buttons on the screen and I watched the silent doctor continue his work. He had such drive and focus. I couldn't see how Bruce could ever lose control and act out.

"Well thanks for stopping by, Elvira. Nice of you to visit every once in a while." Tony called as he zipped around the room, trying to find a misplaced part.

I_ tsked_ at the nickname Tony had so affectionately given me. "Just because I have black hair and pale skin..." He dropped under a desk and picked up a severed piece of metal.

"I call you Elvira because you're actually a vampire. You're trying to fool us, but I know." Tony said as he popped his head up. He connected the piece to whatever Bruce was working on and started playing with the wires.

"Do you sleep with a stake underneath your pillow?"

"You're damn right I do."

"Well, I'm flattered."

"Flattered I have the means to kill you whenever I have the chance?"

"Flattered you're scared of  
me. And it's nice to know that deep down in that suit of armor, you're really just a big, scared ball of mush."

Tony looked up and gave me the eye, while I just smiled sweetly. He tossed me a pair of wires.

"Put these on, spawn." The ends of the wires had tiny circular pads on them. I raised an eyebrow at him, but before I could ask him where, Bruce silently sat down next to me and started placing a few on my arm.

"This is going to locate the Tesseract's energy in your body." Bruce explained as he attached to wires to my forehead. "Once we get a good reading on it, we'll use it to track down where the Cube is located."

I was about to nod, but stopped myself once I realized I had the wires on my head. I replied with a soft "Hm." He Bruce casually walked over to one of the large monitors and began fiddling with the screen. Tony came over and double checked that the wires on me and the tracker were all correctly in place before he bailed.

"Alright kids you have fun, don't get in to too much trouble."

What? Tony was...leaving? But he couldn't. I glanced nervously at the quirky doctor. Bruce had hardly ever said one word to me. What were we going to talk about know that Tony was going? I shot him a helpless look, but he was busy texting.

"Where are you going?" I asked casually, trying to keep my tone indifferent. Tony pocketed his phone and rolled up his sleeves. "Got a date with Capt in the training room. Want to try out a few new additions to the suit. I'll come check on the tracker in an hour." he pointed to Bruce about the last part. Bruce nodded without taking his eyes off the screen. I meekly waved good-bye as Tony strode out.

The seconds ticked by.

The minutes went slowly.

And any hope of a conversation seemed to have left when Tony did.

I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it immediately. Bruce probably didn't want to waste his time with me. I peeked at him through the corner of my eye. He kept his eyes fixated on the screen. I stared down in my lap.

"You don't have to be scared."

I quickly looked up. Bruce was looking down with a cynical sort of smile on his face. When he made eye contact, he wore the same expression but his tone was soft.

"The other guy isn't coming out anytime soon."

My heart dropped. The only sound came from the beeping of the tracker.

"I'm not afraid of you." I replied.

Bruce chortled. "I've heard that one before. But seriously, it's going to be alright. He's under control." The air painfully rang of the unspoken words _for now._

The tracker loudly beeped one final time and Bruce came over and undid the pads and wires. My mouth hung open and my ears grew warm.

"Bruce, I'm honestly not afraid of you." The Hulk was one thing. Him I was a bit afraid of him. But I wasn't talking to the Hulk right now. This was Bruce. He didn't respond as he slowly pulled the wires off one by one.

"Hey."

I softly cupped his chin and looked into his eyes.

"I mean that.

"You're as much a part of the team as everyone else. Stop hating yourself for who you are."

He stared, and then turned away. He gathered the wires and placed in on the table before returning back to the monitor.

I took it as my cue to leave. After sitting uncomfortably in my seat, I silently rose and made my way for the door. I took slow steps, hoping that Bruce wasn't thinking I was trying to rush out of here.

"Thank you."

I turned around, but Bruce kept his back to me. I grinned, I couldn't help it.

The glass doors shut behind me, and I watched Bruce's lean figure hunch over the computer screen. I wonder if he had hoped I would say anything back. I slid my phone out of my pocket and checked the time. Barely 8. Plenty of time to go start some mischief before I passed out. I practically skipped to Loki's room, the feeling of making Bruce feel a little less lonely boosted my spirits. I rapped on the door loudly.

"Enter."

I opened the door wide and stepped in. Loki turned around and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"You look tired."

I shut the door behind me. "Nice to see you too. You look different."

Very different. His hair looked subtly shorter and he looked...better. But that wasn't all. Loki's traditional Asgaridan outfit was laid out neatly on the bed, and he was wearing a pair of black pants and a tight, crisp blue button-down shirt. I felt my cheeks flush. I hadn't seen him in an outfit like this in a long time. An undone tie hung lazily around his neck.

"I thought it would be best to once again try to adhere to your Midgaridan ways. It is much easier to assimilate than to stand out. But I am still having trouble with some of your...customs." He helplessly stared at the ends of the tie. I smirked and sauntered over, gently taking the tie in my hands. Here I was, teaching a god how to tie a tie.

"Like this." I instructed softly. My hands worked slowly but precisely so Loki could see. But I was aware that Loki wasn't watching my hands. I looked up, and saw his bright blue eyes connect with mine. I quickly brought my eyes back to the task at hand, and gently tightened the tie.

"All done."

But my hands didn't leave his neck. Our gaze met again. Did you ever see someone so beautiful, that it actually hurt to look at them? That was Loki. It hurt so bad because he could never be mine.

Or, could he?

I pressed my back against the wall and pulled him closer. His eyes went wide as my hands started exploring his chest. I wanted so desperately to pull off his shirt and feel his skin. My hands dropped to his belt line, and my fingers slid underneath his shirt and lightly traced his skin.

"Evelyn..." he said warningly, grabbing my hand and pushing it away. But that didn't stop me. I ran my hands higher up underneath his shirt, feeling a soft patch of hair on his chest. My fingers lightly scratched his skin as they descended down, and I heard his breathing hitch. Using the distraction to my advantage, I brought my lips to his neck and started giving him very soft kisses. At first he pulled away. But my hands stayed placed on his hips and I pulled him toward me once more. I continued kissing his neck for a few more blissful seconds.

Loki's hand reached up and touched my hair. I thought it was a gesture of affection, but he pulled at it and pushed me away from him. My back hit the wall with a soft thud.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked. He almost sounded angry.

"Kissing you, what does it look like I'm doing?" I snapped. What was the matter with him? Why didn't he want this?

He stepped back, furthering the space between us. His voice was distant and cold, and his face read just the same. "You do not think your actions through. You are still just a child."

This was the last thing I had expected. Granted, I hadn't really thought this through. But I didn't think the rejection would be this horrible.

"Well I'm sorry for offending you, or for whatever the hell I just did," I retorted, hoping the sarcasm in my voice would mask the hurt. "I didn't realize how adamantly you felt about this."

"Did I not make this clear three years ago?" he asked, his voice calm and cool.

The comment cut through me like a knife, and I felt the room fade away. So, that was how he really felt then? Any emotions he had...it was all in my mind. My heart sank, and my face fell, betraying me of my true state.

"Evelyn." I heard Loki call from far away.

I turned around and made my way to the door.

"Evelyn." he grabbed my hand and turned me around, forcing us face to face. His tone had softened, and his face changed.

"You misunderstand me."

"Oh, there is _nothing_ to misunderstand."

He pushed me again the door and grabbed my chin in his other hand, preventing me from looking away.  
"But you do. You do not think about what you are doing, and what consequences your actions will bring. I..."

"Why did you kiss me back?" I interrupted quietly.

Loki and I locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. He dropped the hand that was holding me against the door. With the other, he slowly traced my jaw line, up my chin, to my lips. I took a deep breath.

"I don't know."

That wasn't the answer I was looking for. I pushed his hand away.

"Listen. There are a ton of reasons why I shouldn't know to you, let alone be friends you. Everyone who's ever known about us has advised me not go anywhere near you. But I'm tired of it. And I'm tired of listening to the logic. And that's what you're doing."

I poked the side of his head. "You think I'm being rash, and you think this can't happen." He looked at me, confused. I then prodded his chest, right above his heart. "I want to know what _this_ wants. Because I'm done thinking about it. All I'm acting on his feeling. So what does _this_," I poked his chest again, "what does this want?"

My words came out strong, but my insides were shaking. Loki's eyes looked me over, and I felt his hand lightly brush my face. My heart was pounding so loudly I was scared Loki could hear it. Not a word was said in the brief moment.

But I thought...I thought I saw something in Loki that made it seem like he really did want this too. Whatever this was or could be.  
Hesitantly, I leaned my face in closer to his. I waited for him to do the same.

And waited.

And waited.

But he didn't.

The only thing greater than my disappointment was the humiliation. I had practically just thrown myself at him, and there he stood, not saying a word. It was just as bad as if he had laughed at me. After all this time, I thought there had been some sort of feeling there. Maybe he denied it, but he knew it was there. But this...he didn't even have the courtesy to say it.

Should I have expected anything less?

When I turned around I felt Loki's hand on my shoulder, but I shoved it off. I slammed the door behind me, more angry and hurt that Loki would not come after me. I practically ran to my room, making sure to stay away from any roaming eyes or gossiping mouths. When I entered my room, I slammed the door shut and laid on the bed. But I did not go to sleep until much later that night.


	13. Chapter 13

"Pass 'em."

Clint wordlessly tossed the bag of Doritos into my lap, licking nacho cheese off his fingers as he did. I grimaced at the now half empty bag, but then realized I didn't really need the extra calories.

Today was my two week anniversary at S.H.I.E.L.D. As expected, my days were crammed. Basic exercises had now turned into life or death situations. I traded in my ace bandages for a handgun. Although I tried driving it into Fury's head that I was not going to shoot ANYTHING, much less anyone, shooting practice was now a daily routine. I was as good as I could get in such a limited time. And I wasn't sure how much of it I had left.

Two days ago, I met with Bruce and Tony so that they could finally start to actually track down the Tesseract. OK, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them. Granted, two weeks is a long time, but I could use it for practice. In that time, they had worked together to create a device that could actually locate the Cube. Bruce ran a few basic tests, but the one that really mattered was analyzing my blood. Bruce and Tony hoped that they could find and isolate the Tesseract's diminutive energy in my bloodstream. With that, they would hopefully be able to scan the globe for the same kind of specific radioactive energy. That is, hoping the Cube was still on Earth. I didn't even want to think of what would happen if the Cube was up in space. I had a big enough heights problem as it is.

I nervously glanced down at my feet as the dangled along the building's edge. Clint had a thing for high places, and I let him talk me in to joining him up here. Damn birdbrain. He looked so relaxed, head tilted up at the sky, the sun reflecting off his sunglasses. He stretched his arms and leaned back, a small grin fixated on his face. I pulled at my shorts, noticing that my usual fair skin could now pass as _bronzed. _I sighed. I kind of liked looking pale and porcelain. But the New Mexico sun will do that to you.

Yup. That's where I was. Santa Fe, New Mexico, in one of the many hidden locations of S.H.I.E.L.D. This was one of the newest ones, and wasn't built until Thor had dropped by. From what I hear, he caused quite a bit of trouble. Enough trouble for headquarters to decide it would be a permanent meeting place for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"You know," I said, breaking the silence once more, "this is my first time out of New York. I never thought I'd want to be anywhere else, but the change of scenery is kind of nice."

Clint reached and took the Doritos bag from my lap. No manners, as usual. He shoved a few in his mouth before responding.

"There's a whole big world out there kid. If you're lucky enough, you might get to see all of it." He peered over his sunglasses and gave me a look. I turned away, but not before grabbing a few chips. Clint and I had had these conversations before. It would start off the same; I'd talk about my future, or something else just as vague, and he'd manage to find a way to turn it in to talking about S.H.I.E.L.D. Clint was slowly but surely leading the crusade for career opportunities at the agency. More than once he had tried to persuade me to think about becoming a permanent member of S.H.I.E.L.D. And every time, I would turn him down.

"We've already talked about this Clint."

"I know, I know." He retracted momentarily. "But with the training you've already received, not to mention your abilities, you'd make a great candidate."

I gave a deadpan stare through my sunglasses. Despite the shades, it did the job. Clint turned away. "I'm just saying. But suit yourself, you'll have to get fitted for the uniform anyway."

I didn't want to admit it, but I actually had given the situation more thought. Not that it was actually ever going to happen. Fury would be dead before he saw me in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. But sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if I could be. But I knew I wouldn't be. The life of a spy does sound enticing, but I wasn't about to give up my life and education for a far-fetched dream. No, I was going to start college in the fall, and that was final. I'll trade my guns for books, my spandex for pajama pants, and a life of danger for a life of cramming and socializing. I don't care how awful that sounds.

I just want to be _normal._

With what had been happening the past few weeks, I had felt anything but that. I sighed as I remembered my last encounter with Loki. This uneasy feeling sank in my stomach, and I didn't like it one bit. I had seemed to be getting that way whenever I thought about him.

"Hey, Clint." I called softly. "Can I ask you something?"

Clint crumpled up the now empty bag and tossed it to the side. He licked his fingers once again. "Sure, kid." I swung my legs around and turned my body so that I was facing him.

"Well, it's more like advice."

He took off his sunglasses and raised an eyebrow. "About what?" He asked cautiously.

I shrugged, glancing around and looking anywhere but at him. "Oh, I don't know. Nothing really. Just….

….there's this guy."

In my perfect world, Clint would have whipped around and given me his full attention, begging for me to tell him more. But sadly, this was not my perfect world, and Clint was very attentive on checking out his now orange stained fingers.

I waited in silence. Clint looked up at me.

"And..?" he asked.

_Come on Evie. _It doesn't matter he's your friend. This isn't another teenage girl you're talking to. This was a grown man who had just eaten your entire bag of Doritos. Make it a little more interesting for him.

"Well…things haven't going so great. He's a friend of mine, or at least, he used to be. We got into a fight and it messed everything up."

Clint wiped his hand on his pants leg and removed his sunglasses. "What were you two fighting about?" His interest had now entered the building once he realized I wasn't just doting on some random guy.

I stopped myself from saying what I was thinking. If Clint, or anyone else on the team knew I had feelings for Loki, I would be in big trouble. Natasha got hostile when even she was the one who brought it up. I didn't want to think of what would happen if anyone knew. I shrugged, feigning indifference. "Nothing really. It's just I want to be more than friends, and he doesn't want to be.

And you know, the crazy thing is, we fight all the time. I guess it's because we're similar in a lot of ways. But it's mainly because he's a hot-headed jerk and doesn't seem to care about anyone other than himself. But this time, the fight seemed pretty serious. I don't know what he thinks of me."

Clint scratched his head before asking me another question. "Has he said why he just wants to be your friend?"

"He doesn't have to." I responded plainly. "It's obvious why, and there are so many reasons. Age for one. He's much older than I am. And we come from two totally different planets." My eyes shot to my right to see if Clint made any reaction to the expression, but he continued to sit in silence. I internally sighed.

"But I mainly think it's because he just doesn't have those kinds of feelings. And it just sucks." I looked down at my shoes.

Clint sighed, and I saw him run a hand through his hair. "Listen Ev, I'm not the best person when it comes to this stuff."

I raised my head a little. "Oh?"

"Why's that?" I asked nonchalantly. But Clint saw right through me.

"We are not talking about me and Nat." he responded with authority. I crossed my arms like a five year old with a temper tantrum. I was never going to get to the bottom of this. "But what I can tell you," he continued, "is that you can't force these feelings."

"If, _your friend_ doesn't feel the same way you do, then there isn't much you can do to change it. I know it's hard to hear, but its reality. Life doesn't always end happy. You just can't force someone to love you. "

Who said anything about love? I snorted at the idea of Loki saying it, with flowers and chocolate in hand. Clint put his sunglasses back on and looked out toward the barren scenery. I wonder if the reason he was giving me this advice was because he had to follow it once as well.

Why was talking about him and Natasha so off limits? Was it because S.H.I.E.L.D forbade it? Or maybe it was for each other's protection.

Or maybe there was nothing there.

"And we all know Stark can be a bit much, but you have to…"

"What."

In that moment, I think the world stopped turning. All thoughts of Loki with flowers or Natasha and Clint on a date vanished instantly.

I stared at Clint wide-eyed.

"What, did you just say?" I asked slowly.

Clint's mouth fumbled for words before any noise came out. He started moving his arms like he was trying to pick the words out from the air. "You…Stark….I…"

My obnoxious laughter filled the air before he could have continued further. It was the kind of laughter that made you cry and feel like you ran miles from the stich in your side. Clint yelled over my broken fits. "What?! That's who it sounded like! He's can be a jerk sometimes." I wiped a tear from my eye, "I'm sorry, that's just too funny," I apologized. "But I'm not talking about Tony. And I'm not going to tell you who I am talking about, as if you even know him." I added quickly before Clint could even hope to ask then who it was.

Clint got up and stretched his limbs, but I stayed seated. "It hurts for a bit kid, it always does. But you have to deal with it. Learn to live without it, and hopefully one day you'll just forget it."

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, glumly looking out to the landscape. "That's easier said than done."

Clint bent down beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It always is."


	14. Chapter 14

GUESS WHO'S BACK.

BACK AGAIN.

The clock on the bedside table rang louder than a fire alarm. I turned over, hiding in the bed sheets hoping that it would somehow make the noise go away. After a minute of hopeless wishing, I smacked down on the clock and kept hitting it until it stopped. I groggily opened my eyes to peer at the clock: 11:42 am. A particularly brutal 6 am practice had left me tired and disheveled, and I had just enough energy left to get up and walk to the shower.

I grabbed a towel and clean clothes and started walking. Agents ran around in uniforms and suits, coming from training or stuck behind piles of paperwork. The noise level seemed to be louder than usual, and much more annoying. But that might have just been the general intolerance I have for humanity when I first wake up. I grunted in response to a genuine "Hello," from Coulson.

"Don't take it personally, Coulson. Our friendly little vampire here is just having a hard time adjusting to a human sleep schedule." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tony stroll over to us. Shirtless and sweaty no less. My conversation with Clint flashed through my mind, and I felt my cheeks slightly grow warm. Tony was handsome to say the least. Downright gorgeous.

But come on.

It was Tony.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Sleep all day, party all night. Not very practical, but I respect the lifestyle kid!" He called as he walked away, Coulson shuffling behind him. I bit my lip. Clint was right, I was going have to try and forget about Loki. But I couldn't just set my sights on the first man I saw. I hadn't spoken or even seen Loki since our argument. Saying I didn't care was a lie. I felt humiliated and ashamed. Not just because of the rejection, but also how determined I was to try and make him feel the same way.

_You can't force someone to fall in love with you. _

I shook myself out of the daze and turned around down to the mess hall. I needed something to eat before I started working out again. I ran in and grabbed an apple before running back out. _Some breakfast._

Saturdays were my "days off," and I only had one morning workout with Agent Reid, but I usually found my way to the gym again. When I wasn't training with Reid, the room was always in use by a number of agents. I had gotten to know a few through small-talk, and realized working out with a partner didn't make it seem as awful as it was. I particularly like Karen, a slim blond who transferred from the U.K. branch. She was talkative and sweet, something I couldn't easily find among the agents. I had high hopes that I would see her lifting weights, but the room was empty.

Well, almost empty. The machines had been pushed against the wall, clearing a huge space in the room, which Steve and Tony occupied. They were both in full uniform, dancing around each other as one tried to make a hot. Bruce and Natasha stood against the wall, watching the two and passing comments. I casually tip-toed over to the specters, making sure I didn't get caught in the cross fire. Natasha moved over, and I slid in the narrow space between her and the treadmill. Bruce gave me a quick smile, and cleared more room by sitting on the treadmill. I smiled back.

"You just missed Clint's target practice." Natasha said, keeping her eyes on the two men.

I looked around the room, but couldn't find anything remotely feasible Clint could have used. "Where are the targets?"

Natasha gave one of those small semi-smiles that didn't really pass as a smile. "You're looking at her." I snorted. Bruce tore his eyes away from the fight and joined the conversation. "He wanted to try out the new toy I made. It's a homing device for his arrows that should lock on to a target even if he was going to miss. He doesn't really need it but I thought it couldn't hurt."

"So for practice," Natasha added, "I ran around the room while Clint fired arrows at me." I raised my eyebrow. "They didn't have points."

"Ah."

"Yeah well now I can't turn a corner without getting shot in the ass. I'm going to take those away from him." She glared at Bruce, and he raised his hands. "Hey, I'm innocent. Don't look at me."

I changed the topic, "Well, I'd like to get some hands on practice with you guys. I need to learn other fighting styles than Nat and Reid."

"I'd get some more practice in, kid." Tony yelled over a blast he shot at Steve, who blocked it with his shield. Both men, severely out of breath, lowered their weapons and shook hands.

"Good work." Steve complimented. "Those pack a bigger punch than before."

Tony's face piece retracted, and he began looking at the metal on his arm. "Yeah, but not enough. Still have to tweak this..."

I walked over with my arms crossed and interrupted him. "What do you mean I need more practice Tony? That's exactly what it is, I need to learn how to fight better."

Tony didn't take his eyes off his arm, which I could now see had a screen that he was punching numbers on. Steve stood close by. "That might not be such a bad idea," he commented. "It'll prepare her for what's really out there."

Tony angrily shut the arm piece. "And I said it won't." He made eye contact with me. I kept my arms crossed and tried not to show I was getting angry. "You aren't ready yet."

"Then when will I be ready Tony?"

"I don't know, but it sure as hell isn't now."

"How can you say that? You've never even seen me fight before!"

"I just know."

I snorted from sheer amazement and laughter. "Oh, so you just know. You just know that I can't hold my own." My voice and temper were beginning to rise, and I could hear Natasha and Bruce come closer.

Tony hardly even looked at me before walking off. But he did give me an answer as he did.

"Yes."

I didn't even think about it. It was like my hands replaced my brain. Before Steve could even look at me, I yanked his shield out of his hands, (which is a lot heavier than it looks,) and threw it right at the back of Tony's neck plate. The hit made him trip and almost fall, and the shield fell to the ground with a clang.

No one said a word. I moved right in the center of the room. "Come on Tony, you think I can't handle it?" My tone was growing extremely cynical and almost poisonous. But I couldn't stop myself. I wasn't putting myself through all this training for nothing. I could take care of myself, and when we do finally go out there, I'm not going to rely on anyone to save me. "Prove it. Prove that I'm not strong enough. Show everyone how even though I've been working my ass off just to fight with you, I'll never be go..."

Before I could finish, Tony whipped around and threw an energy blast right at my stomach. It sent me all the way back, throwing me against the wall.

Again, there was complete silence. Steve stepped up like he was going to intervene, but Bruce held his shoulder. "Let them work it out," I heard him say.

I got up and squared my shoulders. Tony's head gear went back in to place. "You want a fight kid, you've got it."

Tony threw another blast at my shoulder, one that I narrowly missed. Before it hit the wall, I mentally grabbed on to it and threw it back at him. As he ducked, I drew back half of it, and sent it to where he had moved to. The trick caught him off guard, and he fell on his back.

My heart flipped. I actually can do this.

Before I could congratulate myself any longer, Tony shot numerous blasts from his shoulder guns. I crouched and used as much as I could to make a force field. But the shots were powerful and were about to break through. Before they could, Tony flew up in the air, and sent energy blasts from his hands. I blocked one, but one broke through the shield, and hit me square in the abdomen. As it hit me, I channeled it and threw it on the ground. It exploded, and made contact with Tony. As he fell to the ground, I slowly moved closer. I wish I could see through his mask. I wanted to know he looked like. Was he surprised? Or angry? I hoped so.

He got up quickly, and threw a punch. I ducked, and make a swift kick to his side. He grabbed my leg and hoisted it up, but I maneuvered by other leg to hit him in the face. Nat must be so proud.

But this fight was more taxing than I thought it would be. My side was severely hurting, and I knew no matter how hard I hit it wouldn't affect Tony's armor. He realized this too, and stopped throwing energy blasts that he knew would only aid me. He was going to try to beat me hand to hand.

Realizing he had much more experience than I did, my only solution was to find some other source of energy. I raised my hand, and energy shot from half of the lights into my palm. As Tony watched, he grabbed my wrist, and with his other hand, began drawing his own energy. I pushed my legs against his chest, and my hand broke free.

We shot our energy at each other.

Instead of hitting the other, both the forces rebounded, and sent us hurling into opposite sides of the room. I slid against one of the weight machines and groaned. From the corner of my eye I could see that Tony wasn't quick to get up either.

The room was a mess. Most of the machines had fallen over, and those that didn't were broken. Sparks cascaded down from the broken light bulbs I had drawn energy from. Steve stepped over half of an elliptical and put himself in the middle of the room.

"That's enough, " he commanded as Tony and I got up. His head gear retracted again. I looked at his face and he looked at mine. His was unreadable. I turned away.

"Both of you get yourselves fixed up, there was no reason for it to get out of hand like that."

I had nothing to say. Tony, of course, did. "Well I didn't even want to get involved."

"But you did." Steve retorted.

I tried gaining my composure, and walked away as strongly as I could.

"Don't act so high and mighty now." Tony yelled after me.

I whipped around. "I think I will, because I've just proven my point."

I was seething. My anger was so heavy that I almost couldn't contain it, and I didn't even hear Tony's response. Another light bulb broke. The rest of the group noticed and turned their eyes toward me. Bruce looked at me especially strangely. Before he could tell me to calm down, I turned around and walked out of there, slamming the door behind me as hard as I could. The last sound I heard from there was the glass screen shattering.


End file.
